LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


POPULAR  NOVELS, 

By  Richard  B.  Kimball. 

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WAS  HE  SUCCESSFUL?  -    -      "      1  75 

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ROMANCE  OF  STUDENT  LIFE,  -  "      1  75 

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bination  of  fancy  and  sentiment.      They  possess  a 
perpetual  charin  to  the  reader;  and,  being 
of  the  lusher  order  of  literature,  are 
growing  more  and  more  in 
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HENRY  POWERS, 

(BANKER.) 

How  He  Achieved  a  Fortune,  and  Married, 


BY    RICHARD     B.    KIMBALL, 

AUTHOR    OF 

"SAINT  LEGER,"-"  ROMANCE  OF  STUDENT  LIFE,'  — 
"WAS  HE   SrCC'ESSFFL?" 
"  UNDERCURRENTS,"— 
&c.,  <fec.,  &c. 

"  There  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  men,  which,  taken  at  the  flood,  leads  on  to 
fortune."  —  JULIUS  CAESAR. 


NEW    YORK  : 
Jf.    J^arleton    ^    ^o.,    jRublishers, 


LEIPSIO  :  TAUCHNITZ. 
MDCCCLXVin. 


LIBRAS 

?^|  E 

PAVJ3 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  one  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  sixty-eight, 

BY  RICHARD   B.  KIMBALL, 

In  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the 
Southern  District  of  New  York. 


DEDICATED 

TO 


WILLIAM  B,  SHATTUCK, 

TO    WHOM    THE    AUTHOR  IS 
INDEBTED    FOF^  THE    IDEA    OF    THIS    BOOK. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  L 

The  Banking  House  of  Henry  Powers  in  Nassau  Street. — His 
Wife's  position  in  Fashionable  Society. — Why  he  writes  this 
Book .' Page  1 3 

CHAPTER  II. 

His  Native  Village. — Scenery  of  the  White  Mountains. — The  Dis 
trict  School. — The  Academy. — Henry  Powers  begins  to  ap 
preciate  the  value  of  Money  and  resolves  to  make  it I1? 

CHAPTER  IIL 

A  Love  Affair. — Its  apparently  Successful  Progress. — A  Season 
of  Ecstasy.— Will  it  last? 23 

CHAPTER  IV. 

An  Astounding  Disclosure. — "Puppy  Love." — Terrible  Reac 
tion.— Departure  for  New  York 33 

CHAPTER  V. 

A  Sentimental  Chapter  in  Parenthesis. — Its  Abrupt  Conclu 
sion * 41 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Commencement  of  New  York  Life. — A  Visit  to  Amos  Carter. — 
Kind  Reception. — Henry  Powers  begins  to  get  his  Eyes 
Open , . , , 45 


viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Searching  for  a  Situation. — Strange  People  encountered. — An 
Unlooked-for  Incident. — An  Agreeable  Termination 54 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Gardner,  Lynde  &  Co. — Life  in  a  Large  Commercial  House. — 
Female  Society  avoided.— Why  ? 64 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Rebellion. — "War. — Failure  of  Gardner,  Lynde  &  Co. — Army  Ex 
perience. — Henry  Powers  is  Left  for  Dead  on  the  Field..  69 

CHAPTER  X. 

At  Home. — Convalescence. — New  York  Life  again. — A  New  Set. 
— Mr.  Horace  Deams f9 

CHAPTER  XL 

Misery  and  Strange  Bedfellows, — A  Dinner  with  Deams. — That 
"  Highly  Respectable  Old  Party "  attempts  to  convert  our 
Hero  to  his  Way  of  Thinking 87 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Unpromising  Prospects. — Deams  a  Constant  Companion. — A 
Visit  to  Long  Branch. — Surf  Bathing. — Grotesque  Scenes. — 
Cries  of  Alarm. — A  Lady  Drowning. — A  Daring  Rescue.  101 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Miss  Mary  Worth. — Love  Dreams  again. — A  Rude  Awakening. — 
Flight  to  the  City Ill 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Effect  of  Adventure  at  Long  Branch. — A  New  Resolution. — How 
it  is  kept 122 


CONTENTS.  ix 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Beams  again. — His  Extraordinary  Civilitj-. — Proposes  to  help 
Henry  Powers  (;  Raise  the  "Wind." — How  it  is  done. — Eli 
Nichols 126 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Woman's  Influence. — A  Confession. — Meeting  with  Mr.  Worth. — 
A  Plain  Understanding. — An  Encounter  with  Deams'  "  Three 
Friends." — Deams  makes  Apologies. — Are  they  satisfac 
tory? 142 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

A  Romantic  Chapter. — Return  of  the  Worth  Family  to  Town. — 
Electric  Affinity. — Humanizing  Emotions 160 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A  Rude  Shock  to  the  Nerves. — A  Quaint  Invitation. — Deams 
does  not  respond. — Description  of  Peter  T.  Strain,  the  Note- 
Broker. — Discomfiture  of  Eli  Nichols 166 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

How  Henry  Powers  is  to  Make  his  Fortune. — The  Hope  and 
Anchor  Mutual  Coal  Company. — Visit  to  the  New  Banking 
Firm. — Dr.  Quartz  and  Prof.  Silex — Great  Anticipations.  187 

CHAPTER  XX. 

'Mary  Worth.— A  Bit  of  Sentiment.— What  Henry  Powers  decides 
on  next 204 

CHAPTER  XXL 

A  Virtuous  Resolution. — Deams  makes  a  Full  Explanation. — 
Four  "Highly  Respectable  New  Yorkers." — Day  Dreams.  208 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Masterman,  Coldbrook  &  Pope. — A  Champagne  Lunch. — In  vino 
veritas. — Grand  Expectations 223 


x  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

A  Change  of  Base.— Beams  in  a  Quandary.— Stokes  the  Stock 
broker. — A  Serious  Disappointment-— Very  Dishearten 
ing 2-28 

CHAPTER  XXIY. 

Henry  Powers  and  the  Good  Old  Gentleman. — A  Curious  Inter 
view. — Our  Hero  is  called  "  an  Honest  Young  Man." — What 
he  concludes  to  do — What  he  does  do 240 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

Great  Excitement  among  the  Coal  Dealers. — Henry  Powers  re 
ceives  a  Shock. — Has  he  Reason  ? — Miss  Worth  and  Young 
Bellamy. — Our  Hero  is  Jealous. — A  New  Plan 254 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Description  of  John  Stykes  in  his  Den. — The  Young  Mastiff 
ventures  into  the  Lair  of  the  Old  Wolf. — A  Proposition. — Will 
it  be  accepted  ? 259 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

The  Oracle  speaks.— Effect  on  "the  Three  Friends."— The 
Great  Banking  House  goes  into  Liquidation — The  Oracle 
speaks  again. — Henry  Powers  resigns 272 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
Hope  and  Anchor. — A  Veritable  though  Marvelous  History.  279 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

What  it  is  to  be  Landed  on  a  Sand-bank. — Henry  Powers  gets  to 
be  an  Extraordinary  Man. — He  is  courted  by  the  Papas  and 
the  Mammas. — Also  by  the  Young  Ladies. — Its  Effect. .  289 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

Grand  Party  at  Madame  De  Castro's. — The  pretty  Miss  Edgerton. 
— Mary  Worth  and  the  Promenade. — A  Cloud. — Meeting  at 
Brady's. — An  Explanation. — Henry  Powers  bids  Miss  Worth 
adieu  till  the  end  of  October.— What  then  ? 295 


CONTENTS.  xi 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

A  Visit  to  Sharon  and  Saratoga. — Miss  Edgerton. — Mr.  Stokes 
again. — A  firm  Friend  secured. — Sudden  Return  to  New 
York 30G 

CHAPTER  XXXIL 

Seward  the  All  Powerful  (in  Dry-  Goods). — Henry  Powers  takes 
an  Important  Promenade. — What  he  encounters. — What 
he  accomplishes.— A  Triumph 312 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

Miss  Worth  at  Church. — A  Happy  Meeting. — Interview  with  Mr. 
Worth. — Is  it  possible  ? 320 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

The  Course  of  True  Love  never  Smooth. — Lover's  Trials  and 
Perplexities. — Hopes  and  Fears. — The  Interesting  Particu 
lars. — The  Denouement 323 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

How  Henry  Powers  really  did  at  last  Achieve  a  Fortune  and 
Marry 329 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
A  Word  about  Wall  Street. — An  Important  Postscript 333 


HENRY  POWERS,   BANKER. 


HOW  HE 


ACHIEVED  A  FORTUNE,  AND  MARRIED. 


CHAPTER     I. 

IN  one  of  the  large  marble  structures  which 
have  lately  been  erected  hi  Nassau  Street,  be 
tween  Cedar  and  Wall  Streets,  there  is,  on  the 
first  floor  above  the  basement,  a  fine  suite  of 
rooms,  fitted  up  for  what  in  America  is  termed  a 
banking  house — in  Europe  it  would  be  called  a 
commercial  house;  but  this  matters  little  to  my 
history.  The  rooms  have  the  appearance  of  being 
solidly  and  substantially  employed.  There  is  no 
gleam  of  varnish  or  fresh  paint  about  them.  The 


14  HENRY  POWERS,   BANKER. 

clerks    are    numerous;    every    one    is    quietly   ab 
sorbed  in  his  duties. 

The  real  condition  of  the  firm  which  occu 
pies  this  floor  (unlike  that  of  many  in  New  York 
which  I  could  name  if  I  felt  inclined)  does  not 
belie  the  promising  features  which  the  apart 
ments  display.  The  New  Yorker  will  at  once 
agree  with  me,  when  I  add  that  I  am  speaking 
of  the  house  of  Powers  &  Holman. 

Header,  I  am  Henry  Powers,  the  senior  part 
ner. 

What  should  induce  me  to  give  this  account 
of  myself?  My  standing  in  financial  circles 
throughout  the  country,  indeed  over  Europe, 
where  my  operations  are  extensive  and  my  cir- 
culaf  letters  of  credit  gladly  honored,  is  too 
firmly  established  to  require  explanation.  My 
wife's  position  in  society  is  so  assured,  that  there 
is  no  movement  of  any  importance,  from  the  be 
nevolent  scheme  of  a  charity  ball  to  the  opening 
of  the  last  fashionable  race-course,  in  which  she  • 
does  not  figure.  4> 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  15 

It  is  not  then  from  any  desire  for  greater 
distinction  or  notoriety  that  I  indulge  the  public. 
Possibly  the  best  reason  I  can  give,  is  that  "it 
is  my  humor."  The  summer  is  approaching. 
The  gay  world  and  the  traveling  world,  want 
something  to  interest  them  as  they  pass  to  and 
fro,  while  the  student  and  the  philosopher  are 
not  at  times  disinclined  to  relaxation  or  to  taking 
a  leaf  out  of  such  a  book  as  mine.  Perhaps 
they  may  do  so  and  be  all  the  wiser  for  it. 

I  dare  say  my  financial  friends,  and  my  fash 
ionable  friends  will  consider  this  a  work  of  fic 
tion.  I  shall  not  attempt  to  disabuse  them,  but  I 
assure  my  out-of-town  readers,  with  seriousness, 
that  this  story  is  true,  every  word  of  it,  from  the 
avowal  of  the  name  of  my  banking  firm  in  Nas 
sau  Street  to  the  minutest  detail  here  recorded. 

A  work  of  fiction,  indeed !  That  would  not 
become  the  gravity  of  my  position  before  the 
world.  No.  I  leave  novel  writino-  to  "the  rev- 

O 

erend  the  clergy"  who  are  now  invading  this  last 
bomb-proof   of   the   "legitimate"    author,   turning 


16  HENRY  POWERS,  BACKER. 

his  own  guns  against  him;  appropriating  all 
his  stock  in  trade  and  leaving  him  helpless. 
Were  it  not  that  I  do  not  wish  to  seem  even 
to  treat  with  levity  things  which  I  consider 
sacred,  I  would  advise  writers  of  romance,  in 
their  turn,  to  rush  to  the  pulpit,  which  they 
would,  perchance  find  empty,  and  undertake  to 
do  duty  there.  A  fair  exchange,  and  one,  per 
haps,  quite  to  the  satisfaction  of  their  hearers. 

Having  said  thus  much  by  way  of  introducing 
myself,  I  will  proceed  straight  to  my  work.  In 
doing  this  I  must  begin  at  the  beginning. 


CHAPTER    II. 

I  WAS  born  near  a  small  village  on  the  Con 
necticut  River,  in  New  Hampshire.  Not  pre 
cisely  under  the  shadow  of  the  White  Moun 
tains,  but  where  they  were  distinctly  visible  in 
the  distance.  There  is  no  lovelier  scenery  in  the 
world  than  that  of  the  valley  of  the  Connecti 
cut.  As  you  advance  northward,  it  becomes 
more  grand  and  impressive,  until  the  majestic 
range  which  culminates  in  Mount  Washington 
appears  in  view.  Our  city-bred  people  know  but 
little  of  the  hardy,  vigorous  life  which  the  inhab 
itants  lead.  And  I  fear  I  should  not  interest 
them  if  I  attempted  to  describe  it. 

My  father  was  a  man  in  delicate  health.  He 
owned  a  small  farm  of  about  thirty  acres,  which 
with  good  cultivation  and  a  careful  economy 
served  to  support  my  father,  my  mother,  and 
myself. 


18  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

Continued  ill  health  had  softened  and  refined 
my  father's  character.  He  was  thoughtful  and 
considerate,  and  differed  much  from  the  farmers 
in  the  neighborhood.  He  was  fond  of  reading, 
and  not  being  able  to  work  all  the  time,  he 
indulged  his  taste  for  it.  He  cultivated  the 
soil  with  intelligent  industry,  so  that  our  thirty 
acres  produced  as  much  as  some  farms  of  one 
hundred.  My  mother  had  a  sanguine,  happy- 
tempered,  joyous  nature,  and  made  our  little 
household  always  cheerful.  She  was  not  intellec 
tual,  but  she  had  a  keen  shrewd  sense  of  the 
fitness  of  things.  I  was  an  only  child,  and  - 
grew  up  more  as  a  companion  than  any  thing 
else.  Those  were  happy  days  as  I  now  recall 
them :  "  Us  three,"  as  we  used  to  say,  form 
ing  the  entire  family.  We  lived  a  life  of  per 
fect  independence.  Thirty  years  ago,  manners 
were  much  more  primitive  in  that  district  than 
now.  There  were  no  railroads  in  the  vicinity 
to  connect  us  closely  with  the  large  towns.  The 
stage  performed  its  daily  route,  not  ordinarily 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  19 

more  than  half  filled  with  passengers,  and  all 
the  news  we  obtained  was  gleaned  from  the 
weekly  paper.  I  attended  the  "district  school" 
with  the  other  children  of  the  neighborhood.  In 
the  winter  it  was  kept  by  a  schoolmaster,  in 
the  summer  by  a  schoolmistress,  because  then 
all  the  large  boys  were  at  work  in  the  fields 
and  none  but  girls  and  small  boys  were  in  at 
tendance.  My  father  took  a  great  deal  of  pains 
to  make  me  like  my  books,  and  my  mother 
used  to  hear  my  spelling  lesson  every  morning 
before  I  started  for  school,  to  be  sure  I  had 
learned  it  correctly.  By  these  aids  and  that  of 
close  application  and  a  good  memory  I  kept  at 
the  head  of  all  my  classes,  and  acquired  the 
reputation  of  being  a  very  bright  boy.  After 
I  was  thirteen  I  no  longer  attended  in  the  sum 
mer,  and  at  sixteen  I  quitted  the  district  school 
altogether. 

There  was  an  excellent  academy  in  the  large 
village  about  three  miles  from  our  house,  to  which 
my  father  concluded  to  send  me  in  order  that  I 


20  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKEK. 

might  obtain,  as  he  said,  a  first-rate  English 
education.  He  could  not  well  afford  to  pay  my 
board  there,  but  it  was  decided  that  I  should 
live  at  home  and  attend  as  a  day  scholar.  In 
fine  weather  I  used  to  walk  both  ways — when 
the  weather  was  stormy,  my  father  drove  me 
over  and  back. 

Thus  far  I  had  formed  no  plans  for  my 
future.  I  did  not,  indeed,  expect  to  confine  my 
self  to  the  little  thirty-acre  farm.  I  had  a  vague 
ambitious  thought  of  making  a  great  deal  of 
myself,  but  this  was  not  at  all  defined.  It  had 
assumed  no  tangible  shape.  It  was  airy,  ro 
mantic,  unsubstantial,  not  connected  with  any 
idea  of  severe  work,  or  of  surmounting  difficulties 
or  enduring  hardships.  The  fact  is,  I  had  really 
but  a  slight  notion  of  the  busy  world  that  throb 
bed  feverishly  in  our  great  cities,  or  what  was 
going  on  there.  So  every  thing  was  left  to  my 
imagination,  and  that,  as  you  all  know,  plays 
strange  freaks  with  serious  sober  fact. 

At  the  academy,  however,  I  gained  a  good  deal 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  2l 

besides  what  I  learned  from  my  studies.  Inter 
course  with  the  boys  and  young  men,  who  came 
from  different  parts  of  New  England,  was  of 
great  service.  My  horizon  began  speedily  to  en 
large,  and  continued  to  expand.  I  was  confess 
edly  the  smartest  boy  at  the  district  school.  In 
deed,  I  had  no  competitor  who  approached  me. 

At  the  academy  I  met  young  fellows  every  way 
my  equal  in  capacity,  who  had  many  advantages 
which  I  had  not  enjoyed.  This  stimulated  me  to 
greater  exertion,  and  brought  ambition  for  the  first 
time  fully  into  action.  Here,  too,  I  began  to  see 
and  appreciate  the  power  of  money.  It  was  at 
first  a  mysterious  agency  not  easily  to  be  under 
stood  by  my  unsophisticated  mind.  I  did  not  at 
first  comprehend  the  force  of  the  magic  words, 
when  some  one  would  say  of  one  of  the  boys, 
"  His  father  is  very  rich  !"  or  of  another,  "  He  is 
poor — he  is  a  charity  scholar."  I  do  not  mean  to 
be  understood  that  there  were  at  this  school  any 
thing  like  aristocratic  cliques,  or  invidious  distinc 
tions,  but  there  was  always  enough  to  draw  my 


22  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

attention  to  the  fact,  that  the  world  worships 
wealth.  This  conviction  roused  a  throng  of  feel 
ings  within  me.  I  determined  to  be  rich. 

Before  this  I  had  regarded  with  some  envy 
the  class  of  young  men  who  were  fitting  for  col 
lege.  I  think,  had  I  asked  my  father's  consent 
to  endeavor  to  obtain  a  classical  "education,  he 
would  have  granted  it;  but  with  my  new  views 
(I  confess  it  now  with  shame),  I  considered  that 
this  would  not  be  the  quickest  or  surest  road  to 
a  fortune,  and  I  decided  not  to  take  it.  Not 
to  go  further  into  the  details  of  my  school  life, 
I  continued  at  the  academy  nearly  four  years. 
In  that  time  I  had  mastered  all  that  was  taught 
there  pertaining  to  an  English  education,  and  had 
gained  the  position  of  the  "  best  scholar "  in  that 
department.  I  left  with  the  highest  testimonials 
from  the  principal,  which  I  exhibited  to  my  father 
and  mother  with  an  honest  pride. 


CHAPTER    III. 

I  WAS  now  to  begin  life.  For  a  week  I  suf 
fered  from  a  vague  irresolution.  A  rather  singu 
lar  circumstance  decided  my  course  and  that 
suddenly.  When  I  made  up  my  mind  to  try 
above  all  things  to  make  money,  I  concluded  to 
enter  on  some  commercial  pursuit  as  the  best 
way  of  doing  it.  In  the  large  village  where  I 
had  been  studying  were  two  or  three  first-class 
stores,  where  I  could  readily  find  a  place  to 
commence  my  business  experience  before  under 
taking  a  higher  flight.  I  had  not  yet  applied 
to  either,  but  was  hesitating  in  my  choice. 

I  have  purposely  omitted  to  make  an  avowal 
of  which  I  need  not  feel  ashamed,  since  in  the 
course  of  nature  it  overtakes  everybody.  I  was 
in  love,  or  at  least  I  thought  I  was. 

Emma  Parks  was  the  daughter  of  the  wealth 
iest  man  in  our  vicinity.  He  lived  in  the  small 


24  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

village  which  was  near  our  house,  and  had  a  fine 
place.  He  owned  two  or  three  farms  in  the 
county,  and  occupied  himself  in  various  ways. 
He  had  been  a  contractor  on  the  railroad,  and 
thus  made  a  considerable  sum.  He  was  in  the 
habit  of  buying  droves  of  cattle,  and  sending 
them  to  market ;  he  would  invest  money  in  wool, 
and  sell  or  hold  it  as  he  thought  best.  In  this 
way  he  was  kept  very  active,  and  more  than  half 
his  time  from  home;  and  when  he  was  with  his 
family,  he  paid  little  attention  to  what  was  going 
on  in  domestic  matters.  His  wife  was  a  pleasant 
lady;  not  in  very  good  health.  They  had  two 
children,  both  daughters.  The  eldest,  Emma, 
scarcely  a  year  younger  than  myself,  the  other  a 
child  of  ten  or  twelve  years  old. 

There  was  but  one  church,  or  "  meeting-house," 
as  it  was  called,  in  the  small  village,  where  all 
gathered  together  on  Sundays:  the  hard-working 
farmers  and  children  to  doze  through  the  long 
tedious  sermon,  the  young  men  and  women  to 
look  very  grave  and  think  of  each  other,  lea  vino- 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  25 

an  exemplary  few  to   pay  a  serious   attention  to 
the  discourse,  and  profit  by  it  if  possible. 

I  had  known  Emma  Parks  ever  since  I  could 
remember.  We  were  at  the  district  school  to 
gether,  she  was  in  my  class  and  my  closest  com 
petitor.  This  brought  us  next  to  each  other  as 
we  stood  up  to  read  or  spell,  and  while  I  was 
generally  at  the  head,  she  was  quite  sure  to  be 
next.  I  recollect  well  that  if  unfortunately  she 
missed  in  a  word  and  lost  her  place  I  felt 
lonely  till  she  regained  it,  which  she  was  sure 
speedily  to  do,  and  when  she  stood  again  by 
my  side  I  experienced  a  pleasure  which  I  knew 
she  shared  with  me.  Once  I  was  detected  in 
"  telling,"  that  is,  in  assisting  her  to  answer 
a  question,  a  grave  offense^  for  which  I  had  to 
take  my  place  at  the  foot.  It  was  some  satis 
faction  to  me  that  it  gave  Emma  the  head,  but 
the  distance  between  us  seemed  a  thousand  miles. 
It  was  a  week  before  I  could  reascend  to  the 
position  next  her.  The  boys  and  girls  tried  hard, 

I  think,  to  keep   ine   down,  by  getting  their  les- 
2 


26  HENEY  POWEES,  BANKEE. 

sons  better  than  usual.  Emma  said  nothing,  but 
I  felt  that  she  experienced  a  glow  of  delight 
when  I  finally  reached  my  place. 

Two  years  after,  Emma  was  sent  to  a  female 
seminary  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State,  and 
I  went  to  the  academy.  We  saw  very  little  of 
each  other  till  she  returned  from  school  to  be 
at  home.  I  had  still  a  year  to  remain  where 
I  was.  I  never  knew  any  one  change  so  little 
as  Emma,  except  that  she  had  attained  her  full 
size,  and  looked  like  a  young  lady  instead  of  a 
child.  She  treated  me  precisely  as  if  she  had 
not  been  away  at  all,  and  with  her  old  partiality. 

I  was,  as  I  have  said,  still  at  the  academy, 
with  one  more  year  before  me.  We  had  there 
a  debating  society,  which  met  on  Saturday  after 
noon,  and  to  which  the  public  were  admitted. 
Emma  never  missed  an  opportunity  to  be  present, 
and  when  the  season  was  fine  we  walked  leisurely 
back  the  whole  three  miles  together.  These 
miles  seemed  very  short,  indeed  a  mere  stroll. 
The  punctuality  with  which  both  of  us  attended 


HENKY   POWERS,  BANKER.  27 

the  evening  lectures  was  most  remarkable.  Yet 
not  altogether  inexplicable,  when  I  tell  you  that 
after  the  services  were  over,  I  always  was  Emma's 
attendant  home,  to  reach  which  we  generally 
took  a  long  detour.  Once  I  recollect  missing 
her  in  the  crowd  as  it  pressed  out  of  the  door. 
I  was  in  despair;  in  vain  I  looked  in  every  di 
rection,  I  had  given  up  all  hope  of  meeting  her 
that  evening  and  was  starting  on  my  way  home, 
when  I  caught  sight  of  her  at  a  little  distance, 
evidently  waiting  for  me.  She  quietly  put  her 
arm  in  mine,  and  without  either  saying  one  word 
we  walked  on. 

I  can  not  describe  the  state  of  ecstasy  I 
was  in  through  all  that  year.  It  gave  me 
fresh  strength,  I  studied  the  harder  for  it,  and 
grew  the  more  ambitious  to  make  money.  Every 
body  said  Emma  Parks  would  be  rich.  I  re 
solved  I  would  never  speak  to  her  of  marriage, 
I  would  not  seek  to  be  engaged,  I  would  never 
even  say  I  loved  her  until  I  was  rich.  I  felt  as 
sured  of  her  love  in  return,  for  how  else  could  all 


28  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

these  tokens  be  explained  ?  Besides,  she  showed 
no  favor  to  any  of  the  young  men  in  the  neigh 
borhood.  Indeed  it  would  seem  by  their  conduct 
that  they  had  left  the  field  entirely  to  me. 

There  was  one  thing  alone,  only  one  thing, 
which  caused  me  any  distress. 

On  a  fine  Sunday  morning,  two  or  three 
months  after  Emma's  return  from  the  seminary, 
I  saw  a  genteely  dressed  and  rather  good-look 
ing  young  man  in  her  father's  pew.  There 
should  be  nothing  very  astonishing  in  that, 
though  Mr.  Parks  was  at  that  time  away  from 
home. 

I  felt  jealous  of  the  stranger,  I  hardly  knew 
why.  He  was  very  polite  to  Mrs.  Parks,  but  not 
specially  so  to  Emma.  The  next  morning  he  had 
vanished.  I  heard  no  one  allude  to  him,  as  is 
common  frequently  in  coming  out  of  church,  and 
for  some  reason  I  was  reluctant  to  make  any 
inquiry. 

Emma  and  I  met  as  usual  at  the  lecture-room, 
Thursday  evening.  No  allusion  was  made  to  the 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  29 

young  man  who  had  occupied  her  pew.  Her 
manner  was  as  kind  as  ever,  our  walk  longer,  so 
that  I  laughed  at  myself  for  feeling  as  I  had 
done  over  so  trivial  an  occurrence. 

But  it  was  repeated!  Several  weeks  after, 
when  the  affair  had  gone  quite  out  of  my  mind, 
the  specter,  in  the  shape  of  that  identical  stran 
ger,  appeared  again.  This  time  I  was  more  for 
tunate  in  getting  information.  The  clergyman's 
wife,  coming  out,  said  in  a  low  tone  to  the  wife 
of  one  of  the  deacons,  "That's  the  gentleman 
Emma  Parks  is  engaged  to."  "Who  is  he?" 
was  asked.  "Dr.  Emory,  from  Andover." 

I  was  so  wedged  in  the  crowd  that  I  could 
not  fail  to  hear  this,  and,  although  I  know  I 
turned  very  red,  it  did  not  affect  me  as  much 
as  one  would  suppose.  The  affair  was  so  over 
stated  that  I  felt  a  sort  of  relief.  "Andover!" 
That  was  where  Emma  had  been  at  school. 
What  wonder  people  should  fall  in  love  with 
her.  Surely  she  can  not  prevent  that.  Besides, 
I  recalled  the  fact  that  the  Parks  family  had  con- 


30  HENRY  POWEKS,  BANKEB. 

nections  in  Andover  by  the  name  of  Emory ; 
and  here  was  one  of  them.  So,  when  I  heard 
the  same  statement  repeated  outside  the  church 
door,  I  said  to  myself,  "Ha!  ha!  How  little 
they  know  of  what  is  between  Emma  Parks  and 
me!"  In  fact  I  rather  enjoyed  the  common 
mistake  of  the  congregation. 

Nevertheless  I  felt  impatient  for  Thursday 
evening  to  come.  I  thought  I  might  venture  a 
joke  about  the  current  opinion.  Then  we  could 
enjoy  the  little  affair  together.  But  when  the 
evening  did  come,  and  when,  after  impatiently 
sitting  through  an  unusually  long  lecture,  I  found 
myself  once  more  by  Emma,  her  arm  in  mine, 
her  hand  in  mine,  walking  very  slowly,  as  we 
were  wont,  I  had  not  the  courage  nor  yet  the 
inclination  to  disturb,  by  such  an  allusion,  the 
placid,  the  perfect  happiness  we  were  mutually 
enjoying. 

Thus  matters  went  on  till  I  left  the  academy. 

On  the  day  of  the  "  Exhibition "  which  marked 
the  close  of  the  term,  and  which  was  held  in  the 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  31 

largest  church  of  the  village,  Emma  attended  and 
occupied  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  gallery  set 
aside  for  ladies.  As  I  went  on  the  "  stage,"  at 
the  conclusion  of  the  day's  proceedings,  to  receive 
by  public  announcement  the  first  prize,  I  ven 
tured  to  cast  a  glance  in  the  direction  where  she 
was  sitting.  I  did  not  trust  myself  to  do  so  before. 

She  was  looking  toward  me  intently,  but 
turned  her  eyes  quickly  away  as  they  met  .mine. 
In  a  few  minutes  we  were  together,  taking  our 
walk  homeward  of  three  miles. 

It  was  a  lovely  day  in  September.  In  this 
locality  the  foliage  changes  early  into  innumerable 
colors  without  falling  off.  The  appearance  of  thfe 
forests  was  magnificent  and  aided  to  produce  i 
dreamy,  delightful  sentiment.  Lest  our  walk 
should  come  too  quickly  to  its  close  we  turned 
into  an  old  road,  leading  in  the  same  direction, 
formerly  in  use  but  now  quite  deserted 

On  this  occasion  Emma  talked  more  than 
usual.  She  spoke  of  her  gratification  at  the  hon 
ors  I  had  gained,  and  asked  me  what  I  was  now 


32  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

going  to  do.  She  had  never  before  said  any 
thing  to  me  on  the  subject.  I  told  her  I  intended 
to  enter  on  a  commercial  pursuit.  I  was  uncertain 
where  to  commence,  but  thought  I  should  go  to 
Boston  in  a  few  days,  and  on  my  return  decide 
between  that  city  and  one  of  the  larger  stores  here. 

"Boston  is  a  long  way  from  here,"  she  said 
hesitating;  "besides,  don't  you  think  it  would 
be  better  to  become  a  little  familiar  with  business 
before  you  go  to  so  large  a  place?" 

She  spoke  in  a  lower  tone  than  usual,  and  I 
fancied — only  fancied — I  could  perceive  the  slight 
est  possible  pressure  of  her  arm  in  mine.  What 
a  subtle,  mysterious  power  have  the  sex !  I  deter 
mined  that  instant  I  would  begin  my  career  not 
in  Boston  but  in  the  large  village  near  by. 

I  did  not  say  so  though.  I  only  said,  "Per 
haps  you  are  right,"  and  the  conversation  was 
changed.  We  made  very  slow  progress  toward 
home.  Indeed,  it  was  not  till  the  setting  sun 
admonished  us  to  quicken  our  steps  that  I  re 
membered  we  had  still  more  than  a  mile  to  walk. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

YES,  now  I  was  to  begin!  and,  as  I  have 
stated  in  the  opening  of  the  last  chapter,  I  was 
by  no  means  resolved  where.  It  was  Emma 
Parks  who  determined  me  not  to  go  at  once  to 
the  city,  but  to  commence  my  career  nearer  home. 
On  Thursday  evening  I  should  see  her,  and  I 
would  then  talk  with  her  fully  about  my  plans. 
On  that  evening  I  went  as  usual  to  the  lecture. 
Emma  was  not  there!  Who  can  describe  the 
agony  of  my  impatience  as  I  was  forced  to  sit 
out  those  tedious  services,  and  go  home  alone. 
I  imagined  every  thing.  I  scarcely  slept  that 
night.  I  tried  to  reason  myself  into  a  calmer 
state.  "What  occasion  for  such  an  excitement 
of  foeling,"  I  said  half  aloud.  "Emma  has  been 
kept  at  home  by  some  unforeseen  circumstance. 
Am  I  to  go  through  life  in  this  way,  nervous  and 

2* 


34  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

full  of  fears  at  the  least  disappointment !  Non 
sense  !" 

I  was  not  very  successful  in  the  attempt  to 
quiet  myself.  Still  I  devoted  the  next  day  to 
the  consideration  of  the  best  store  for  me  to 
enter  in  the  large  village.  I  thought  the  next 
morning  I  would  walk  over  and  talk  with  the 
owner  of  one  of  these.  I  had  just  breakfasted, 
and  was  about  starting  on  this  errand  when 
there  was  a  rap  at  the  door.  My  mother 
opened  it.  I  was  in  the  adjoining  roonu  When 
I  came  out  she  had  just  finished  the  reading 
of  a  note  she  held  in  her  hand.  She  had 
another  which  she  gave  me.  Saying,  "Well,  it 
has  come  at  last."  I  took  the  prettily  folded 
bit  of  paper  without  a  misgiving.  Opening  it, 
I  read  as  follows: 

"Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parks  request  the  pleasure  of 
Mr.  Henry  Powers's  company  on  Monday  even 
ing,  at  the  wedding  of  their  daughter." 

I  did  not  turn  red  or  pale.  But  it  seemed 
as  if  my  soul  was  suddenly  changed  to  stone. 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  35 

My  mother  did  not  appear  to  notice  me,  but  said, 
"They  were  going  to  be  married  when  Emma 
first  came  home  from  school,  but  it  was  put 
off."  "Yes,"  was  my  reply,  as  if  I  knew  all 
about  it,  and  not  a  word  more  was  uttered. 
The  next  day,  Sunday,  I  attended  church  as 
usual,  and  saw,  of  course,  Dr.  Emory  seated  in 
Mr.  Parks's  pew  next  to  Emma — my  Emma ! 

Monday  evening  we  attended  the  wedding. 
I  stood  very  near  and  saw  them  married. 
Afterward,  I  congratulated  the  bride.  She  received 
me  very  sweetly — yes,  indeed,  and  looked  her 
prettiest,  as  all  brides  do.  I  shook  hands  with 
the  doctor,  and  gave  his  fingers  a  grip  that 
brought  the  tears  to  his  eyes.  During  the 
evening,  after  the  married  pair  had  received  all 
the  congratulations  of  the  guests,  I  walked  with 
Mrs.  Emory  around  the  room.  She  had  my  arm. 
I  made  no  allusion  whatever  to  any  thing  that 
was  passing;  nor  did  she.  We  talked  as  we  had 
always  talked,  and  for  a  little  while  I  felt  as 
if  I  had  been  dreaming  a  horrible  dream,  and 


36  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

had  happily  awakened.  This  last  hallucination 
was  soon  dissolved.  The  doctor  came  up  and 
joined  us  as  we  were  standing  near  the  mantel 
piece.  A  few  common-place  words  were  ex 
changed,  when  Emma  quietly  withdrew  her  arm 
from  mine  and  took  her  husband's.  She  smiled 
kindly  as  she  did  this,  and  both  walked  away. 

The  company  broke  up  soon  after  I  left.  It 
was  not  till  I  reached  home  and  had  retired, 
that  a  sense  of  utter  desolation  came  over  me. 

I  did  not  sleep  a  wink  that  night.  I  made  a 
thousand  resolutions,  and  as  quickly  abandoned 
them.  I  would  think  no  more  of  this  wicked 
world ;  no  more  of  entering  into  business.  It 
was  sinful,  carnal,  diabolical.  I  would  study  for 
the  ministry.  I  would  devote  myself  to  doing 
good.  I  would  become  a  missionary,  and  preach 
the  gospel  to  the  far,  very  far-off  heathen.  I 
would  sacrifice,  yes,  crucify  myself. 

The  day  dawned  while  1  was  still  feverishly 
resolving  these  lofty  views.  I  lay  until  the 
sun  began  to  stream  into  my  window.  My 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  37 

door  stood  ajar.  I  had  omitted  to  close  it  when 
I  went  to  bed.  It  opened  into  the  kitchen. 
My  mother  had  been  for  some  time  busy  in  the 
preparations  for  breakfast.  Soon  my  father  came 
in  and  took  a  seat. 

"Is  not  Henry  up  yet?"  he  said. 

"No,"  replied  my  mother,  "I  thought  I  would 
let  him  sleep." 

"Don't  you  think,  wife,"  continued  my  father, 
after  a  pause,  "  that  Henry  was  in  love  with 
Emma  Parks  ?" 

"In  love,"  exclaimed  my  mother,  while  she 
gave  one  of  her  clear  ringing  good-natured 
laughs.  "In  love;  nothing  but  puppy  love. 
It  will  do  him  good;  it  will  shake  up  and 
settle  his  sympathies.  Boys  have  to  go  through 
with  it  as  they  do  with  the  hooping-cough  and 
the  measles." 

She  laughed  again  as  merrily  as  before,  and 
I  fancied  I  could  hear  a  responsive  tone  from 
my  father — low  and  quiet,  as  was  his  way. 

"  Puppy    love !"      Was    this    the    commentary 


38  HENRY   POWEBS,  BANKER. 

on  my  lofty  aspirations,  my  swelling  hopes,  my 
tumultuous  feelings,  my  tender  emotions  and 
desires !  And  from  my  mother,  my  kind,  par 
tial,  affectionate  mother  !  "  Puppy  love !"  What 
a  disagreeable  expression.  What  do  my  parents 
think  of  me  ?  I  fancied  my  secret  so  well 
kept,  and  now  I  saw  it  was  no  secret  at  all. 
My  clear-sighted,  quick-witted  mother  knew  all 
about  it,  and  had  held  her  peace,  it  seems,  till 
the  malady,  like  the  measles,  should  have  its 
run.  Probably  the  whole  village  knew  and  were 
chuckling  over  it. 

How  disgusted  I  was  at  every  thing  and  every 
body.  This  ebullition  passed  off.  After  awhile 
pride  began  to  have  its  proper  control.  Present 
ly  my  mother  knocked  at  the  door,  and  said, 
"  Breakfast  is  ready."  I  rose  and  tried  to  appear 
as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

We  finished  the  meal.  Then  I  went  back  to 
my  room.  "No  country  store  for  me,  no  Bos 
ton  for  me,  I  will  strike  for  the  largest  place, 
and  I  will  make  my  mark  there.  I  will  go  to 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  39 

New   York!"      This   resolve  was  the   result   of  a 
day  of  bitter  communing  with  myself. 

My  arrangements  were  speedily  perfected.  I 
should  require  what  seemed  to  me  a  very  con 
siderable  sum  of  money — thirty-five  or  forty  dol 
lars  at  least.  My  father  relieved  my  anxiety 
on  this  point.  He  always  had,  he  said,  a  little 
put  by  for  a  rainy  day;  and  from  this  store, 
which  proved  to  be  not  quite  fifty  dollars,  I  re 
ceived  forty.  My  mother  slipped  five  in  my 
hand  as  she  bade  me  farewell,  and  thus  fortified 
I  jumped  into  the  stage  which  was  to  convey 
me  about  half  a  day's  rjlde  to  the  nearest  rail 
road  station  from  which  I  was  to  be  whirled 
into  the  great  maelstrom  of  metropolitan  life. 

Of  this  life  I  had  not  the  slightest  concep 
tion.  I  had  once  visited  Concord,  the  capital 
of  my  native  State,  a  town  of  eight  or  ten 
thousand  inhabitants.  It  was  the  largest  place 
I  was  ever  in,  and  the  only  one  by  which  I 
could  judge  of  New  York.  I  could  not  there- 


40  HENEY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

fore  form  the  least  idea  of  the  sharp-cut  divi 
sion  of  labor;  the  close  and  eager  competition, 
the  perpetual,  unceasing  hum  of  action,  and  the 
ever-varied,  never-ending  preparatives  for  pleasure 
which  characterize  the  great  metropolis.  It  was 
an  unknown,  untried  sea.  God  help  the  youth 
who  first  attempts  it! 


CHAPTER   V. 

LET  me  insert  a  short  chapter  here  in  paren 
thesis.  The  account  I  give  of  my  "affair,"  with 
Emma  Parks  is  by  no  means  novel.  It  is  the  ex 
perience  of  nineteen  young  fellows  out  of  twenty. 
Doubtless  my  mother  was  right,  when  she  char 
acterized  my  state  of  feverish  agitation  by  the 
term  "puppy  love."  By  which  expression — 
rather  grating  it  must  be  confessed  to  the  youth 
concerned — I  suppose  she  meant  to  convey  her 
strong  conviction,  that  the  feelings  and  emotions 
I  entertained  had  no  depth,  but  were  from  the 
surface,  and  would  not  stand  the  test  of  time 
and  of  new  scenes,  or  even  the  ordinary  change 
of  events. 

This  I  now  readily  comprehend.  But  what 
of  Emma  Parks!  Certainly  her  conduct  can  not 
be  explained  in  this  way.  During  the  entire 


42  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

year,  and  while  she  was  engaged  to  the  man 
she  subsequently  married,  she  gave  me  tokens 
of  her  affection  which  I  could  not  mistake,  and 
by  her  treatment  plunged  me  into  the  condition 
I  have  endeavored  to  describe. 

Yet  I  can  not  think  she  was  otherwise  than 
sincere.  She  had  not  the  disposition  of  a  coquette, 
nor  do  I  believe  she  was  merely  amusing  herself 
by  flirting  with  me.  The  idea  that  she  had  en 
gaged  herself  rashly,  and  would  have  broken  off 
the  compact  if  she  could — in  short,  that  she  pre 
ferred  me  to  Dr.  Emory,  I  must  reject.  Emma 
Parks,  as  everybody  well  knew,  had  absolutely 
her  own  way  at  home.  Her  father  indulged  her 
slightest  wish,  while  her  mother  never  thought 
for  a  moment  of  opposing  any  plan  she  ever 
formed.  So  that  her  temper  was  not  of  a  sort  to 
tolerate  any  restraint  on  her  choice,  or  prevent 
her  openly  avowing  any  change  of  mind.  I 
repeat,  therefore,  the  whole  affair  is  to  me  utterly 
incomprehensible. 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  43 

"  What  a  goose  you  are,"  exclaimed  my 
wife,  who,  while  I  was  a  few  moments  absent 
from  the  room,  had  entered  and  cast  her  eyes 
over  the  foregoing  pages,  "what  a  goose  you 
are  ! " 

"  Why  ?"  I  asked,  in  a  rather  subdued  tone, 
for  I  felt  somewhat  ashamed  at  being  caught 
at  my  little  bit  of  sentimentality. 

"  Why  ?"  responded  she.  "  Because  you  make 
a  mystery  of  the  simplest  thing  in  the  world. 
The  girl  had  been  your  companion  from  the 
time  you  were  children  together,  and  she  liked 
you,  and  treated  you  accordingly.  But  you 
were  the  last  person  she  ever  would  fall  in  love 
with.  Besides,  girls  are  much  more  mature 
than  boys,  and  at  nineteen  she  was  ready  to 
be  married,  when  you," — my  wife  hesitated  and 
smiled. 

"I,  what?" 

"  Well,  when  you  doubtless  merited  the  ap 
pellation  bestowed  by  your  mother." 

"I  guess   you    are   right,"    was    my    response. 


44  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

"Set  a  thief   to  catch  a  thief,  and  a  woman   to 
explain  a  woman." 

"My  dear,"  said  my  wife,  "I  carne  to  call  you 
to  dinner!" 


CHAPTER    VI. 

I  HAD  a  single  acquaintance  in  New  York. 
It  was  a  young  man  by  the  name  of  Amos 
Carter,  a  relation  of  one  of  our  neighbors.  He 
had  spent  a  few  weeks  in  our  village,  the  pre 
vious  summer,  and  I  had  become  well  acquainted 
with  him.  He  was  salesman  in  a  wholesale 
grocery  store,  and  gave  me  a  warm  invitation 
to  come  and  see  him,  if  I  ever  visited  the  city. 
It  occurred  to  me  that  I  might  be  assisted  in 
the  choice  of  a  boarding-house  by  this  young 
man,  and  I  resolved  to  call  on  him  without 
delay. 

I  arrived  in  town  by  the  New  Haven 
Railroad,  in  the  express  train,  which  reaches 
Twenty-seventh  Street  about  half-past  eleven  at 
night,  and  put  up  at  one  of  the  cheap  hotels 
near  the  station.  I  slept  soundly,  and  did  not 
awake  till  late.  It  was  the  first  refreshing 


46  HENRY   POWERS,    BANKER, 

clumber  I  had  experienced  since  the  shock  which 
had  so  affected  me. 

I  started  up,  and  looked  confusedly  around. 
I  was  no  longer  in  my  neat  little  chamber 
at  home,  but  in  a  dreary,  dirty-looking  room, 
without  furniture  of  any  kind  if  I  may  except 
a  washstand,  two  chairs,  and  the  bed  I  was  in. 
I  dressed  as  quickly  as  possible,  in  order  to  be 
rid  of  the  impression  produced  by  the  scene, 
and  hastened  down  to  breakfast.  That  dispatched, 
I  made  the  necessary  inquiries  for  reaching  Water 
Street,  where  Mr.  Carter  was,  and  started  in 
search  of  it. 

What  a  sight  for  me,  as  the  omnibus  passed 
down  Broadway.  I  can  never  forget  it,  nor 
the  impression  produced  by  it.  It  equaled  the 
"Tales  of  the  Arabian  Nights."  One  wonder 
succeeded  another,  until  I  felt  almost  beside 
myself. 

At  last  I  found  the  place  and  number.  It 
was  a  large  building,  running  through  to  the 


HENEY  POWERS,    BANKEK.  47 

next  street.  I  well  recollect  the  sign  over  the 
door.  It  was,  "Embury,  Hyde  &  Prince." 
Several  carts  were  standing  by  so  as  to  almost 
completely  block  the  entrance,  and  persons  were 
busy  loading  them.  I  managed  to  push  my 
way  into  the  store,  and  endeavored  to  find 
some  one  sufficiently  at  leisure  to  speak  to  me: 
but  everybody  was  at  work.  Not  the  least 
notice  was  taken  of  my  presence.  At  length  I 
seized  a  propitious  moment,  and  inquired  of  a 
young  man  if  Mr.  Carter  was  in.  The  only 
answer  he  made,  was  to  point  with  his  finger 
to  the  interior  of  the  store.  I  went  forward, 
and  asked  again.  Another  point  of  the  finger 
up-stairs.  I  ascended  and  inquired  once  more 
and  got  a  word  in  reply,  "  Not  up  here." 
I  retorted,  that  I  had  been  sent  up  there. 
"Went  down  five  minutes  ago,"  was  jerked  out 
in  answer. 

I  retraced  my  steps,  and  finding  the  person 
who  had  directed  me,  told  him  Mr.  Carter  was 
not  up-stairs.  The  man  stared  vacantly  at  me 


48  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

an  instant,  then  rapidly  called  out,  "Jim,  where's 
Carter?"  "Pearl  Street  door!"  was  echoed 
back.  Another  finger-point  toward  the  Pearl 
Street  entrance,  and  my  man  was  off. 

On  I  walked,  and  my  perseverance  was  re 
warded.  For  there  was  Carter,  his  coat  off 
(it  was  a  very  warm  day),  busy  taking  in 
goods.  He  recognized  me  at  once,  as  I  pre 
sented  myself,  and  shook  hands  in  a  manner 
which  indicated  he  really  had  not  the  time  to 
do  it ;  while  one  eye  was  kept  constantly  on 
the  men  at  the  door. 

"Pm  glad  to  see  you,  very  glad  to  see  you. 
Leave  all  well?  Come  and  see  me  this  even 
ing.  Hold  on!  Let  me  give  you  my  address." 

"Have  you  any  room,  do  you  think — for  an 
other  boarder?"  I  was  about  to  ask,  when  I 
was  suddenly  pushed  aside,  with  a  "Take  care, 
those  grappling-irons  will  hit  you."  "  Be  sure  and 
come  up  this  evening.  Come  early;  don't  forget, 
now.  Busy  time  with  us,  you  see.  Good-day." 

I   had   too   much    sense   to   be    angry    at    my 


HENRY  POWERS,    BANKER.  49 

reception,  for  I  could  see  that  Carter  really  was 
busy,  and  unable  to  attend  to  me ;  but  I  felt 
mortified  and  vexed  nevertheless.  So  I  said 
"  Good-day,"  in  return,  and  started  off. 

I  left  the  store  of  Embury,  Hyde  &  Prince, 
with  a  rather  diminished  sense  of  my  own  im 
portance.  The  idea  gradually  dawned  on  me 
that  I  was  not  actually  necessary  to  the  mer 
chants  of  New  York  I  put  on  a  bold  front, 
however,  determining  not  to  be  faint-hearted.  I 
spent  the  day  riding  over  the  city  in  the  omni 
buses  and  horse-cars,  and  in  the  evening  pre 
sented  myself  at  the  place  named  by  Carter  as 
his  boarding-house. 

Here  my  reception  was  quite  different  from 
the  greeting  at  the  store.  Carter  was  glad  to 
see  me;  asked  me  at  once  to  his  room,  which  was 
a  very  comfortable  apartment,  nicely  furnished, 
and  where  his  repose  of  manner  was  in  strange 
contrast  with  the  hurry  and  bustle  of  the  day. 
I  took  tea  with  him,  and  then  told  him  what  I 

had  come  to  New  York  for. 
3 


50  HENRY  POWERS,    BANKER. 

"I  will  do  what  I  can  for  you,"  he  said, 
"but  it  is  difficult  to  get  a  good  place — very 
difficult.  We  are  full  at  our  store — am  sure. 
One  thing  I  can  do — I  can  get  you  in  here. 
It  is  an  excellent  house.  The  old  lady  is  from 
New  England,  and  makes  us  all  feel  as  if  we 
were  living  at  home.  There  is  an  attic  room 
vacated  to-day,  if  you  don't  mind  climbing  a 
little.  The  price  is  five  dollars  a  week,  very 
reasonable  as  things  are  going." 

I  examined  the  room,  which  I  reached  after 
what  seemed  to  me  an  interminable  ascent,  and 
which  proved  to  be  a  small,  cramped  corner,  but 
clean  and  neat.  Five  dollars  a  week  for  a  seven- 
by-nine  nook  in  a  garret  (Carter  called  it  an  attic), 
looked  large  to  me ;  but  I  was  satisfied  it  was 
the  best  I  could  do,  and  that  I  was  fortunate  in 
securing  it.  So  I  thanked  my  friend;  and  having 
an  intense  repugnance  to  passing  another  night  at 
the  hotel,  I  inquired  if  I  could  not  bring  my 
trunk  that  very  evening  and  install  myself  at  once 
in  my  lodgings.  There  was  no  objection  to  this, 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  51 

and  accordingly  I  went  back  to  the  scene  of  the 
previous  night,  paid  my  bill,  and  hired  a  porter 
to  carry  my  luggage  to  my  new  home. 

I  had  a  long  conversation  with  Carter  that 
evening.  He  seemed  disposed  to  aid  me  every 
way  in  his  power.  His  suggestions  were  useful, 
though  I  was  greatly  chagrined  to  learn  I  could 
not  step  at  once  into  a  good  situation. 

"You  have  no  acquaintances  here,  then,"  said 
he,  after  considerable  discussion. 

"None  but  yourself." 

"Well,  never  mind,"  he  continued,  "I  will  intro 
duce  you  to  one  of  our  firm,  and  from  what  I  can 
say  of  you  I  have  no  doubt  he  will  allow  you  to 
refer  to  him.  That  will  be  tip-top — nothing  better." 

"Refer  to  him!"  That  was  another  phase  of 
city  experience. 

"Do  you  mean  that  I  am  obliged  to  refer  to 
somebody  who  knows  me  in  order  to  get  a  place  ?" 

"  Certainly." 

"  For  what  ?" 

"For  your  character,  to  be  sure,"  said  Carter, 


52  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

laughing.  "Nothing  is  taken  for  granted  here, 
unless  it  is  that  every  man  is  to  be  considered  a 
rogue  till  he  proves  himself  to  be  otherwise." 

"  But  how  can  anybody  take  me  for  a  rogue 
when  they  know  nothing  of  me." 

"That  is  just  the  difficulty,"  returned  Carter. 
"When  nothing  is  known  of  you,  you  are  taken 
at  the  worst  possible  valuation.  Don't  you  see 
that  is  the  only  safe  business  rule?" 

"No,  I  don't;  with  us  in  the  country  it  is 
just  the  other  way." 

"  It  won't  do  here,  though,"  said  my  friend ; 
"  you  will  soon  understand  why." 

"New  York  must  be  a  pretty  hard  place." 

"Well,  it  is  and  it  isn't.  There  are  all  sorts 
and  sizes  jumbled  together.  I  call  it  a  good 
place.  If  a  man  is  honest  and  industrious,  and 
sticks  to  his  business,  he  is  very  sure  to  get 
along.  So  don't  be  discouraged  (Carter  could 
not  fail  to  observe  that  I  looked  chagrined),  it 
may  be  weeks  before  you  get  any  thing  to  suit 
you.  Keep  trying ;  the  right  thing  will  turn  up 


HENET   POWERS,  BANKET?.  53 

after    awhile,  and   then    you    will    go    ahead  —  no 
mistake  about  it." 

I  felt  thankful  to  Carter  for  his  attempt  to 
cheer  me,  for  I  confess  my  courage  was  not  quite 
at  the  point  I  could  desire.  I  assented  to  his 
prediction,  and  bidding  him  good  night  I  climbed 
manfully  upward  till  I  reached  the  attic,  and 
quite  overcome  by  the  day's  excitements  soon  fell 
asleep. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

THE  next  day,  according  to  promise,  Carter 
introduced  me  to  Mr.  Embury,  the  senior  partner 
of  the  firm  he  was  with,  and  with  whom  I  per 
ceived  he  had  been  conversing. 

I  was  received  very  kindly.  "Glad  to  see 
you,  Mr.  Powers.  You  are  just  from  the  country, 
I  learn.  We  want  good  industrious  young  men 
like  yourself  here.  Mr.  Carter  has  been  speaking 
to  me  about  you.  It  is  all  right.  Send  them 
to  me.  I  will  take  care  of  them." 

I  felt  much  like  prolonging  an  interview  began 
so  agreeably,  but  a  look  from  Carter,  who  stood 
by,  warned  me  to  take  leave  of  the  busy  mer 
chant.  I  thanked  him,  therefore,  and  came 
away. 

I  will  not  recount  the  wearying  details  of  my 
attempt  to  procure  a  good  position  in  this  large 


HENRY  POWERS,   BANKER.  55 

and  confusing  city.  I  labored  at  the  work  with 
unceasing  energy,  but  it  appeared  as  if  the  "heav 
ens  were  biass"  against  me.  I  answered  every  ad 
vertisement  that  looked  at  all  like  what  I  wanted. 
I  ventured  to  spend  a  few  dollars  in  advertis 
ing,  myself.  I  took  a  list  of  the  first-class  houses 
and  went  the  rounds  of  all  of  them.  Nobody 
wanted  to  employ  me  on  any  terms  I  could 
afford  to  engage  for. 

It  was  curious  to  witness  the  different  manner 
with  which  I  was  received  at  different  places. 
Some  would  treat  me  with  kind  civility  while  they 
returned  a  courteous  negative  to  my  application; 
others  would  jerk  out  a  gruff  "No,"  or  give  a 
surly  shake  of  the  head,  without  deigning  to  favor 
me  with  a  look.  Occasionally  I  was  made  the 
butt  of  a  poor  jest,  which,  however,  affected  me 
but  little.  It  was  the  kind  response,  accom 
panied  by  a  refusal,  which  discouraged  me  more 
than  any  other  reception. 

I  have  always  felt  very  grateful  to  Carter  for 
endeavoring  to  keep  me  in  spirits. 


56  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

"  Don't  give  it  up,"  he  would  say.  "  You 
will  strike  tlie  right  spot  by  and  by.  I  was 
quite  as  long  myself  before  I  could  get  a  place, 
and  you  see  I  have  never  left  it." 

I  had  spent  my  last  dollar,  for  I  paid  my 
board  weekly,  and  had  borrowed  a  few  shillings 
of  Carter  to  help  me  to  an  omnibus  ride  when 
too  much  fatigued  walking. 

Notwithstanding  my  want  of  success,  the  longer 
I  staid  in  New  York  the  less  discouraged  I  felt. 
For  during  the  six  weeks  of  my  peregrinations 
over  the  city  I  had  pretty  nearly  got  rid  of  my 
green  look,  indeed  of  my  greenness  generally. 
That  was  only  superficial.  I  soon  discovered  it 
was  not  difficult  to  acquire  the  ready  habit  and 
quick  apprehension  of  city  life,  that  also  was 
siiperficial. 

My  six  weeks'  experience  was  very  valuable  to 
me.  I  learned  much  that  I  could  not  have 
gained  in  any  other  way ;  and  got  an  insight 
into  the  character  of  some  first-class  men,  when 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  57 

they  were  off  their  guard  and  had   no   object  in 
disguising   it. 

One  afternoon  I  took  the  horse-car  of  the 
Sixth  Avenue  Railroad  to  ride  up  town,  for  I  had 
walked  a  great  deal  that  day  and  was  tired  out. 
Before  reaching  Canal  Street  we  met  with  an 
obstruction  in  the  shape  of  a  truck  which  had 
broken  down  while  crossing  the  track.  This 
detained  us  perhaps  fifteen  minutes. 

While  seated  there  a  gentleman  who  sat  next 
me,  on  my  right  addressed  some  casual  remark 
to  me.  I  replied,  and  he  continued  the  conver 
sation. 

At  length  my  companion  exclaimed  rather  ab 
ruptly  :  "  Have  you  succeeded  in  finding  a  place 
yet  ?" 

In  my  amazement  I  turned  and  looked  the 
speaker  full  in  the  face. 

He  was  a  man  I  should  say  about  fifty,  with 
fine  expressive  features,  and  dark  searching  eyes, 

which  were  turned  not  unpleasantly  on  me. 
3* 


58  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

"You  were  in  my  store  the  other  morning," 
he  continued,  seeing  that  I  did  not  answer. 
"You  may  have  forgotten  it." 

"I  have  been  in  so  many  it  is  impossible  to 
remember  all." 

"  Do  you  not  recollect,"  said  he,-  "  I  asked 
you  where  you  were  from." 

"I  do  now  recollect  it." 

"And  have  you  succeeded?" 

"  No." 

"I  was  so  much  occupied  I  could  not  attend 
to  you.  I  meant  to  tell  you  to  come  in  the  next 
day,  but  my  attention  was  called  away  at  that 
moment.  You  quitted  me  very  abruptly." 

I  made  no  reply. 

"So  you  are  from  New  Hampshire?"  con 
tinued  the  gentleman. 

"Yes." 

"What  part?" 

"From  the  upper  Valley  of  the  Connecticut." 

"What  county?" 

"  Grafton." 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  59 

"Why,  I  am  from  Grafton  County  myself," 
said  the  gentleman,  smiling. 

"You  from  Grafton  County,"  I  exclaimed,  in 
astonishment. 

"  Why  not  ?"  he  said,  good-naturedly,  "  and 
if  you  will  look  in  on  me  to-morrow  morning 
at  nine  o'clock,  I  will  see  what  can  be  done 
for  you." 

"Where,"  I  asked,  still  much  surprised. 

The  stranger  took  a  pencil  from  his  pocket, 
and  writing  on  the  margin  of  a  newspaper  in 
his  hand,  he  tore  off  the  slip  and  handed  it  to 
me. 

"It  is  the  corner  where  I  got  in,"  he  said 
hastily,  as  the  car  stopped  at  Twenty-third  Street, 
where  he  left  it  and  walked  rapidly  toward  the 
Fifth  Avenue. 

I  watched  his  retreating  form  as  long  as  I 
could,  and  then  examined  the  scrap  of  paper. 
The  writing  was  not  very  legible,  but  I  had 
no  difficulty  -in  making  out  the  words,  "Gard 
ner,  Lynde  &  Co.,"  which  I  at  once  recognized 


60  HENRY   POWERS,  BACKER. 

as  one  of  the  largest  commercial  houses  in  the 
city. 

My  heart  beat  quick  with  excitement.  "Was 
this  one  of  the  firm?  And  which  one?  What 
would  be  the  result  of  to-morrow's  interview  ? 

"I  will  not  be  too  sanguine,"  I  said  to  my 
self;  "it  may  amount  to  nothing,  after  all." 

I  told  Carter  about  it  in  the  evening. 

"You  don't  say  so,"  he  exclaimed.  "It  was 
Gardner  himself.  I  know,  by  your  description. 
He  begun  a  poor  boy.  I  told  you  that  you 
would  hit  it  after  awhile." 

"  But  I  don't  know  yet,  whether  I  have  hit 
it  or  not,"  I  replied. 

"You 'may  count  it  for  certain,"  said  Carter. 
"He  wouldn't  take  all  this  trouble  for  nothing, 
you  may  rely  on  that,"  and  the  conversation 
closed. 

Punctually  at  nine,  I  was  at  the  counting- 
room  of  Gardner,  Lynde  &  Co.  I  inquired  for 
Mr.  Gardner,  and  had  the  wit  to-  say  I  called 
by  appointment. 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  61 

After  a  little  delay  I  was  ushered  into  his 
private  apartment.  He  was  engaged  reading  his 
letters,  but  he  signed  to  me  to  be  seated. 

When  he  had  finished  he  turned  and  ad 
dressed  me,  but  with  none  of  the  familiarity  of 
the  previous  day.  His  demeanor  was  serious  and 
in  a  sense  reserved,  but  his  tone  was  that  of 
kindness. 

In  the  interview,  which  lasted  possibly  fifteen 
minutes,  he  put  to  me  almost  every  conceivable 
question  about  myself,  all  of  which  I  answered 
promptly,  though  I  confess  I  did  not  see  the 
necessity  of  so  strict  an  examination,  for  it  not 
only  embraced  every  particular  of  my  life  in 
the  country  (with  the  exception  of  my  love  af 
fair),  but  every  petty  circumstance  relating  to 
my  sojourn  in  New  York. 

"  You  say,"  concluded  Mr.  Gardner,  "  that 
you  understand  book-keeping." 

"  I  do." 

"Please  let  me  see  your  handwriting;  you 
may  copy  a  couple  of  lines  there." 


62  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

I  complied,  nothing  loath  to  exhibit  my  pen 
manship. 

"You  may  remain,"  said  Mr.  Gardner,  after 
glancing  at  the  paper.  "  It  is  best  for  you  to 
lose  no  more  time." 

He  rose  and  left  the  room  returning  in  three 
or  four  minutes. 

"Come  with  me,"  he  said.  "This  gentleman 
will  set  you  at  work,"  he  continued,  introducing 
me  to  one  of  the  lie.il  men.  "After  a  few 
weeks  we  can  tell  where  to  place  you." 

The  work  I  was  set  at  was  to  aid  in  loading 
some  boxes  of  merchandise;  not  exactly  what  I 
anticipated,  but  I  went  at  it  with  hearty  good 
will,  astonishing  even  the  carmen  with  the  dis 
play  of  my  strength  and  dexterity.  After  so 
long  a  period  of  suspense  and  anxiety  it  was  a 
luxury  to  be  permitted  to  earn  a  living  even 
by  helping  to  load  a  cart. 

I  returned  to  my  boarding-house  at  night 
in  a  state  of  healthful  fatigue.  Carter  was  per 
fectly  delighted. 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  63 

"You  are  all  right  now,"  lie  said.  "Keep 
doing,  no  matter  what  you  are  put  at,  if  it  is 
driving  au  old  dray-horse.  Gardner  wants  to 
find  out  what  you  are  made  of." 

I  continued  industriously  at  the  same  sort 
of  work  for  a  week,  and  was  then  advanced  a 
little,  that  is,  I  was  employed  in  a  higher  kind 
of  service,  which  was  relieved  occasionally  by  be 
ing  sent  on  various  commercial  errands. 

Every  week  I  earned  six  dollars,  which  barely 
enabled  me  to  live.  But  I  was  content,  more 
than  content,  I  was  happy.  I  had  secured  a 
place  in  one  of  the  first  establishments  in  the 
city,  and  knew  it  depended  on  myself  to  retain 
it  and  be  advanced  in  it.  It  was  with  intense 
satisfaction  I  could  inform  my  parents  of  the 
good  news.  Hitherto  my  letters  must  have 
proved  meager  and  unsatisfactory. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

I  REMAINED  with  the  house  of  Gardner,  Lynde 
&  Co.  nearly  three  years  and  a  half. 

I  look  on  this  period  of  my  life  with  much 
satisfaction.  From  the  day  I  entered  the  place 
till  I  left,  I  devoted  myself  with  unwavering  and 
steady  energy  to  my  duties.  I  commenced  with 
zeal  by  assisting  to  load'  the  drays.  Mr.  Gard 
ner,  though  appearing  not  to  notice  me,  really 
watched  me  closely. 

At  the  end  of  six  months  I  was  promoted 
to  the  counting-room,  and  my  salary  doubled. 
I  never  asked  for  any  change  of  position  or 
increase  of  wages,  but  worked  hard  and  faith 
fully.  It  was  now,  that  my  excellent  education 
at  the  Academy  produced  its  fruits.  I  could 
not  help  perceiving  in  this  respect  that  I  was 
far  superior  to  the  other  young  men  in  the  store, 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  65 

and  as  to  mere  details  the  knowledge  of  these 
was  easily  acquired. 

It  was  the  autumn  of  1857  when  I  came  to 
New  York.  In  the  autumn  of  1860  I  was  at  the 
head  of  my  department,  which  was  the  most 
important  in  the  establishment. 

In  this  position  I  saw  much  of  Mr.  Gardner, 
who  conferred  with  me  daily.  Indeed  he  had 
on  more  than  one  occasion  hinted  that  at  the 
end  of  five  years  from  the  commencement  of  my 
service,  he  should  give  me  an  interest  as  one 
of  the  junior  partners. 

Of  this  period  of  five  years,  over  three  had 
expired.  I  can  not  express  the  emotions  of  pride 
and  gratification  with  which  I  informed  my  pa 
rents  of  the  brilliant  prospect  which  was  before 
me,  and  which  I  felt  I  had  gained  by  my  faith 
ful  assiduity.  Thus  far  there  had  not  been  a 
check  to  what  seemed  to  me  a  triumphant  pro 
gress.  All  my  thoughts  and  efforts  had  been 
directed  to  the  business,  nothing  but  the  busi 
ness,  of  my  employers.  I  attended  church  on 


66  HENBY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

Sunday  it  is  true,  but  I  fear  my  thoughts* 
were  mainly  in  the  counting-room.  As  to  female 
society,  I  had  solemnly  resolved  to  have  none  of 
it.  My  experience  with  Emma  Parks  had  cured 
me  for  all  time,  as  I  then  felt,  of  any  desire  to 
cultivate  it.  I  had  a  bowing  acquaintance  with 
several  young  ladies  of  the  congregation,  but 
nothing  further.  I  had  been  invited  occasion 
ally  to  parties,  but  I  declined  with  a  feeling  of 
grim  resistance. 

I  was  often  bantered  on  what  was  termed 
my  aversion  to  the  sex,  indeed,  my  kind  New 
England  landlady  took  frequent  occasions  to  say 
it  was  not  a  good  sign  when  a  young  man 
neglected  the  society  of  virtuous  young  ladies, 
and  she  cautioned  me  against  falling  into  the 
habit.  If  such  were  my  tastes  now,  what  would 
I  get  to  be  when  I  grew  older.  Others  would 
declare  I  had  been  crossed  in  love,  and  hoped  I 
would  get  over  it  some  time.  I  stoutly  with 
stood  all  these  insinuations,  suggestions,  banter- 
ings,  and  jesting,  keeping  on  my  way  undisturbed. 


HENKY  POWEKS,  BANKEK.  67 

Every  summer  I  visited  home,  and  rejoiced 
my  parents  with  the  improvement  in  my  ap 
pearance,  and  the  account  of  my  prospects. 
There  I  would  hear  Mrs.  Emory  often  spoken  of, 
but  the  charm  had  dissolved.  The  name  no 
longer  sent  the  blood  bounding  quickly  through 
every  vein.  My  tastes  began  to  partake  of  the 
refinements  of  metropolitan  life.  The  girls  of  my 
native  place  did  not  look  as  handsome  or  as 
well-dressed,  or  as  "fine,"  as  they  used  to  do. 

I  was  now  the  observed  of  all  observers  in 
the  village  church.  I  was  always  particular  in 
my  dress ;  and  after  I  was  firmly  established  in 
my  situation,  I  could  afford  to  indulge  myself 
in  this  respect.  Without  vanity,  I  may  say 
my  personal  appearance  was  good,  so  that  with 
the  aid  of  a  first-class  New  York  tailor,  I  could 
not  fail  to  attract  the  attention  of  my  country 
friends  and  acquaintances,  with  whom  I  began 
to  pass  for  a  "great  New  York  merchant." 

In  going  to  and  returning  from  my  native 
town,  I  went  by  different  routes,  making  a  wider 


68  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

circuit,  in  order  to  see  some  of  our  noted  places 
for  summer  resort.  In  this  way  I  visited  Sara 
toga,  and  Lake  George,  and  Niagara,  and  even 
went  once  to  Montreal.  I  was  at  the  same  time 
at  great  pains  to  improve  my  manners,  and  to 
acquire  general  information,  but  my  heart  was 
m  the  counting-room,  my  sole  purpose  was  to 
get  rich. 

It  is  with  reluctance  I  take  leave  of  this 
part  of  my  life,  I  was  so  happy  and  contented 
in  it. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

WHAT  American  can  forget  the  gloom  of  the 
winter  preceding  the  breaking  out  of  the  re 
bellion.  This  gloom  began  to  cast  its  shadow 
immediately  after  the  November  elections,  and 
spread  deeper  and  deeper  over  the  land  till  the 
actual  commencement  of  hostilities,  when  it  was 
dissipated  by  the  swift  and  stirring  events  of 
the  war.  It  settled  over  the  merchant,  the 
artisan,  the  mechanic,  the  laborer.  Above  all, 
it  gathered  thick  about  the  heart  of  every  one 
who  cherished  the  grand  hope  of  an  undivided 
nationality  for  our  common  country. 

I  could  lay  no  claim  to  belong  to  this  last 
class,  for  my  soul  was  too  deeply  engrossed  in 
trade  to  be  stirred  by  the  possibilities  of  the 
hour.  I  lamented  over  a  dull  fall  business,  and 
thought  of  but  little  else. 


70  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

I  was  seated  alone  with  Mr.  Gardner  in  his 
private  room  one  afternoon,  the  latter  part  of 
December,  engaged  in  making  a  special  report 
on  the  condition  of  the  debts  due  to  the  firm, 
from  each  of  the  Southern  States,  preparatory 
to  the  usual  balance-sheet  for  the  first  of  Jan 
uary. 

I.  perceived  Mr.  Gardner  exhibited  none  of 
his  usual  elasticity  of  spirits.  He  was,  very  seri 
ous,  while  a  resolute,  I  may  say  dogged  expres 
sion  overspread  his  face. 

As  I  concluded,  he  asked,  "What  is  the  sum 
total  of  the  indebtedness  ?" 

"Do  you  mean  that  which  I  have  marked 
undoubted?"  I  said. 

"I  mean  the  whole.  You  will  find  there  will 
be  no  difference  in  them,"  replied  Mr.  Gardner, 
setting  his  teeth  firmly  together. 

I  went  over  the  abstract,  adding  the  various 
amounts  together,  and  shortly  replied,  "Nearly 
three  millions." 

"About    as    I    thought,"    said    Mr.    Gardner. 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  71 

He  half  opened  his  lips,  as  if  to  go  on,  then 
he  said,  abruptly,  "That  will  do,"  and  I  left 
him. 

For  myself,  I  had  not  thus  far  entertained 
the  slightest  apprehension  that  there  could  be  a 
war,  although  South  Carolina  had  already  "se 
ceded."  I  looked  on  it  as  a  large  game  of 
brag  by  the  politicians  on  both  sides.  I  was 
so  engaged  in  my  daily  work,  that  I  had  al 
most  ceased  to  have  but  the  one  thought — how 
to  thrive  in  it.  It  may  be  humiliating  to 
confess  this,  but  I  was  one  of  a  great  class, 
who  care  little  for  any  interests  except  what 
aifects  their  personal  avocations. 

Going  home  I  revolved  in  my  mind  the 
words  and  manner  of  my  principal.  He  was 
evidently  alarmed  at  the  aspect  of  things.  But 
even  then,  I  could  not  bring  myself  to  consider 
it  to  be  serious. 

I  was  soon  to  be  undeceived. 

The  month  of  January  satisfied  the  most 
hopeful  merchant,  that  the  worst  was  coming ; 


72  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

if  not  in  our  national,  at  least  in  our  commer 
cial  affairs.  I  did  not  realize  this;  for  I  was 
inexperienced  in  reverses;  but  our  firm  did. 

I  never  shall  forget  my  sensations  when  Mr. 
Gardner  said  to  me  in  a  quiet  calm  tone: 

"Powers,  you  will  soon  witness  a  great  cri 
sis.  All  houses  who  have  dealt  with  the  South 
largely  must  break." 

I  did  not  then  think  he  included  his  own 
firm.  He  saw  I  did  not,  and  continued,  "You 
do  not  suppose  we  can  lose  three  millions  and 
go  on,  do  you?" 

The  clerks  and  employees  of  a  large  success 
ful  mercantile  house,  regard  their  principal  as 
soldiers  do  a  favorite  general:  they  not  only  feel 
safe  with  him,  but  no  idea  of  disaster  enters  their 
minds  while  he  commands. 

When  Mr.  Gardner  asked  me  this  question, 
it  astounded  me  more  than  if  he  had  struck 
me  a  blow  in  my  face.  The  house  of  Gardner, 
Lynde  &  Co.  riot  go  on!  They  stop!  This 
magnificent  edifice,  with  all  its  appurtenances 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  73 

and  appliances,  be  closed !  All  the  ramifications 
of  this  enormous  business  suspended ! 

My  head  swam.  I  think  I  must  have  been 
seized  with  faintness,  for  a  moment  after  I  found 
myself  seated  in  a  large  arm-chair. 

Mr.  Gardner  regarded  me  with  a  compassion 
ate  look.  "My  young  friend,"  he  said,  "you 
have  but  yet  learned  your  A  B  C  in  affairs. 
Doubtless  you  consider  yourself  a  competent, 
well-trained  merchant,  and  so  you  are ;  but  I 
repeat,  it  is  only  the  A  B  C  of  commercial 
life  that  you  have  studied,  which  is  the  prosper 
ous,  successful,  sunny  side.  You  can  never  be 
a  full-grown  man  till  you  have  experienced  the 
reverse  of  this.  If  you  are  wise,  the  lesson  you 
will  soon  learn  will  last  you  a  lifetime.  Try  to 
make  the  most  of  it." 

"  But,"  I  interposed,  "  when  this  comes  from 
no  fault,  mistake,  or  negligence  of  your  own,  it 
is  very  aggraA^ating." 

"  On  the  contrary,  that  is  why  there  is  noth 
ing  aggravating  about  it,"  said  Mr.  Gardner, 


7-t  ilmRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

"and  as  to  the  cause,"  continued  he,  "I  would 
rather  be  ruined  fifty  times  over,  and  become 
literally  a  beggar  than  that  our  country  should 
be  scattered  into  fragments,  and  hold  no  longer 
a  place  as  a  great  nation." 

Mr.  Gardner  continued  the  conversation  much 
in  the  same  strain.  He  saw  how  deeply  I  was 
aifected  by  what  threatened  him  (for,  truly,  in 
this  I  had  lost  sight  of  the  utter  demolition  of 
my  own  prospects),  and  he  strove  to  impress 
on  me  a  serviceable  lesson. 

I  returned  home  that  evening  prostrated  in 
body  and  mind,  with  loss  of  courage,  resolu 
tion,  and  energy.  I  did  not  dare  speak  with 
Carter,  for  I  could  not  betray  private  confi 
dential  remarks,  so  I  had  to  suffer  in  silence. 

I  went  from  that  time  to  my  daily  labors, 
now  labors  indeed,  with  lead  at  my  heart  and 
a  millstone  around  my  neck,  working  painfully 
on  through  the  winter,  through  the  spring  to 
April,  through  April  to  the  12th  of  that  month, 
when  the  first  gun  against  Sumter  settled  the 


HENKY   POWEKS,  BANKEK.  75 

fate  of  our  commercial  house  and  changed  for 
ever  the  destiny  of  the  country. 

Long  before  this  my  feelings  had  been  roused 
to  the  highest  pitch  of  excitement.  Mr.  Gard 
ner  himself  was  full  of  zeal  and  activity,  so 
were  all  in  the  establishment.  There  was  very 
little  to  attend  to  during  the  day,  and  in  the 
evening  the  young  men  were  busy  drilling, 
while  the  more  advanced  among  them  were  al 
ready  waiting  for  marching  orders. 

The  older  men  were  attending  meetings  of 
committees,  devising  plans  to  raise  money  to  aid 
recruiting,  and  arranging  for  places  in  which  to 
receive  the  soldiers.  In  short,  doing  every  thing 
possible  to  aid  and  strengthen  the  government. 

The  house  of  Gardner,  Lynde  &  Co.  sus 
pended:  but  what  was  that  to  the  STOP  threat 
ened  the  nation  ! 

All  was  excitement,  confusion,  rapid  prepara 
tion.  The  streets  so  recently  filled  with  persons 
and  vehicles  employed  only  in  peaceful  pursuits, 
were  resonant  with  the  rattling  of  artillery 


76  HENKY   POWERS,  BANK  ICE. 

wagons,  and  the  tramp  of  armed  men,  whose 
bright  polished  guns  and  bayonets  glittered  in 
the  sunlight — a  strange,  solemn  spectacle. 

The  parks  were  converted  into  barracks ;  ad 
ditional  hospital  accommodations  were  got  ready, 
and  all  the  energies  of  the  people  directed  to 
preparing  for  war. 

My  resolution  was  taken.  I  wrote  to  my 
parents  that  I  intended  to  enlist.  My  father,  my 
thoughtful  quiet  father,  returned  immediate  answer 
that  he  well  knew  what  my  decision  would  be 
before  receiving  my  letter.  He  gave  me  many 
brave  words  of  encouragement,  and  exhorted  me 
to  do  my  duty  manfully.  My  mother 
added  a  trembling  signature  to  my  father's 
letter. 

I  was  soon  at  the  head  of  a  company  of 
young  men.  I  obtained  a  captain's  commission 
without  delay,  and  my  regiment  shortly  after 
received  orders  to  proceed  to  Washington. 

The  story  of  the  war  is  familiar  to  us  all. 
Its  history  has  been  published  in  multifarious  . 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  77 

ways  and  forms.  I  do  not  propose  to  add  a 
single  chapter  to  it. 

During  the  summer  campaign  in  Virginia 
my  company  were  on  one  occasion  deployed  as 
skirmishers.  While  thus  engaged,  I  was  fired  on 
from  an  ambush  and  received  three  bullets,  one 
of  which  shattered  my  arm  below  the  elbow, 
another  inflicted  a  severe  flesh  wound  in  my 
thigh ;  the  third  just  missed  my  left  lung. 

I  dropped  senseless  and,  as  I  was  doubtless 
supposed  to  be  dead,  escaped  being  made  prisoner. 
Later  in  the  day  the  ground  was  occupied  by 
our  own  troops,  and  I  was  borne  off  in  a  very 
exhausted  and  apparently  dying  state.  But  my 
hardy  constitution,  together  with  the  excellent 
care  I  received  in  the  hospital,  saved  my  life, 
which,  for  some  time,  was  in  imminent  danger. 

My  wounds  proved  so  serious  that  the  surgeon 
was  of  opinion  I  could  not  again  enter  the 
service,  and  accordingly  I  received  from  the  war 
department  an  honorable  discharge. 

In    the    month    of    October    I    had    sufficiently 


78  HENKY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

recovered  to  be  able  to  bear  the  journey  home. 
How  lovely  looked  iny  native  hills!  The  air,  so 
pure  and  elastic,  seemed  to  breathe  fresh  life  in 
me.  As  we  drove  to  the  door  my  father  and 
mother,  who  were  anxiously  expecting  me,  stood 
ready  to  lift  me  out,  and  I  was  soon  reclining 
in  my  own  little  chamber,  surrounded  by  every 
comfort,  and  cheered  by  the  attentions  of  the 
entire  neighborhood. 

My  convalescence  was  rapid.  I  could  take 
exercise,  and  with  exercise  came  a  renewal  of 
force  and  vigor.  I  was  quite  the  lion  of  the 
country  round,  as  the  first  returned  soldier  of 
the  war.  I  had  come  home  severely  wounded, 
and  I  was  honored  for  what  I  had  endured. 


CHAPTER     X. 

BY  the  following  spring  I  had  regained  my 
natural  health  and  strength.  During  the  long 
New  Hampshire  winter,  I  thought  a  great  deal 
of  what  I  was  now  to  do.  This  had  indeed 
become  a  serious  question. 

As  the  spring  opened  I  could  no  longer 
restrain  myself.  I  must  return  to  New  York, 
though  I  had  heard  that  every  department  of 
business  was  stagnant.  As  the  phrase  is,  noth 
ing  was  doing. 

ISTot  daunted,  however,  I  started  once  more 
for  the  metropolis.  It  had  the  appearance  of  an 
armed  camp.  I  sought  my  old  boarding-house. 
It  was  not  occupied.  Carter  I  knew  was  in 
the  war.  So  were  nearly  all  my  fellow-clerks. 
Mr.  Gardner  had  gone  to  Europe  in  order  to 
effect,  if  possible,  some  arrangement  with  his 


80  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

creditors,  nearly  all  of  whom  resided  abroad,  so 
that  he  might  resume  business.  Not  one  of  the 
old  firm  was  in  the  city. 

I  selected  a  respectable  boarding-house,  and 
took  possession  of  a  pleasant  room  assigned  to 
me,  for  there  was  no  lack  now  of  empty  apart 
ments,  and  at  very  moderate  prices.  On  Sunday 
I  was  greeted  by  many  old  acquaintances,  who 
seemed  glad  to  see  me,  and  who  expressed  the 
hope  that  I  had  quite  recovered.  I  saw,  how 
ever,  that  there  was  not  the  slightest  danger  of 
my  being  made  a  hero  because  I  had  been 
wounded.  The  city  was  full  of  just  such  heroes, 
their  arms  in  slings,  or  on  crutches,  or  sauriterT 
ing  along  pale  and  sickly-looking  from  loss  of 
blood. 

When  I  left  the  service  of  Gardner,  Lynde 
&  Co.  I  had  saved  up  about  seventeen  hundred 
dollars.  My  personal  expenses  preparing  for 
the  campaign  were  large.  While  stretched  for 
dead  on  the  field,  I  was  despoiled  of  my  watch 
and  boots,  and  fifty  dollars  which  were  on  my 


HENEY   POWERS,    BANKER.  81 

person.  My  disbursements  afterward  further 
reduced  my  store,  so  that  on  arriving  in  New 
York  I  had  scarcely  two  hundred  dollars  re 
maining. 

I  spent  several  days  looking  about  to  mark 
the  changes  which  had  taken  place,  and  to  en 
deavor  to  get  the  run  of  affairs.  Things  were 
at  a  very  discouraging  ebb.  Every  species  of 
property,  real  and  personal,  was  selling  at  ruin 
ously  low  prices.  Gold  had  not  yet  advanced 
beyond  five  or  six  per  cent.,  and  dullness  char 
acterized  the  Stock  Exchange. 

Passing  one  morning  through  Wall  Street,  I 
felt  a  hand  placed  familiarly  on  my  shoulder,  and 
heard  a  voice,  which  was  not  familiar,  exclaim, 
"How  are  you?" 

I  turned,  and  recognized  the  speaker  as  a 
person  who  used  frequently  to  come  to  our  place 
to  introduce  customers,  or  to  offer  an  invoice  of 
goods,  from  which  a  small  commission  was 
earned. 

With    this    man    I    had    comparatively  but   a 


82  HENRY   POWEKS,  BANKER. 

slight  acquaintance.  I  had  never  been  prepos 
sessed  in  his  favor. 

His  history  I  knew  very  well.  His  name 
was  Horace  Deams.  He  had  the  appearance  of 
a  person  of  forty-five,  though  I  dare  say  he  was 
considerably  older.  For  prior  to  1836  he  had 
figured  as  partner  in  one  of  the  largest  silk 
houses  in  the  city.  Going  down  in  the  crash 
of  1837,  he  afterward  successfully  established 
himself  as  a  wholesale  grocer.  Failing  again 
in  1847,  he  recuperated  once  more,  only  to  go 
down  beyond  hope  of  resuscitation  in  the  finan 
cial  maelstrom  of  1857.  After  that,  he  maintained 
himself  by  introducing  several  of  his  old  cus 
tomers  to  other  houses,  and  acting  as  broker  in 
various  ways,  in  stocks,  in  merchandise,  and  in 
real  estate ;  sometimes,  in  more  questionable 
schemes. 

This  man  was  of  an  imposing,  portly  figure, 
and  always  dressed,  not  only  handsomely,  but  with 
faultless  taste.  His  face  struck  you,  on  first  in 
troduction,  as  rather  agreeable  than  otherwise.  It 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  83 

was  not  till  you  became  better  acquainted  with 
him  that  you  looked  on  it  with  aversion  or  disgust. 

Mr.  Horace  Deams  maintained  a  suave,  unc 
tuous  pretension,  differing  entirely  from  the  bold, 
egregious  assumption  of  some  men.  He  had  so 
much  business  on  his  hands !  He  must  see  an 
"  important  party "  at  two,  and  it  lacked  but  five 
minutes  of  that  hour.  Another  "party"  had  to 
be  met  at  three,  and  no  time  was  to  be  lost. 
Still  another  "party"  would  dine  with  him,  that 
very  day,  when  a  large  "operation"  was  to  be 
entered  into. 

It  was,  nevertheless,  always  easy  to  induce 
Mr.  Deams  to  disregard  these  set  hours,  if  any 
hope  of  a  "transaction"  could  be  held  out,  so 
that  the  young  fellows  about  the  establishment 
began  at  last  to  suspect  that,  in  fact,  he  had  not 
so  very  much  to  attend  to  after  all. 

In  my  position,  as  one  of  the  head  men,  Mr. 
Deams  was  by  no  means  to  my  taste.  I  think 
he  saw  it,  but  it  made  no  difference  in  his  bland, 
oily  dignity. 


84:  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

This  was  the  individual  that  placed  his  hand 
on  my  shoulder,  saying,  "  How  are  you  ?" 

I  never  used  to  relish  encountering  Deams  on 
any  occasion.  Now,  the  sight  of  him  afforded  me 
a  species  of  pleasure.  It  reminded  me  of  the 
time  when  we  were  in  the  full  tide  of  business 
and  every  thing  was  moving  prosperously.  This 
man  was  associated  in  my  mind  with  that  period, 
and  I  returned  his  greeting  with  something  of 
cordiality,  not  permitting  myself  to  be  unpleas 
antly  affected  by  his  patronizing  air. 

After  the  first  salutations,  1)  n'-n    i\cLiinied: — 

"  So  you  have  got  enough  of  fighting  ?" 

"No,  I  have  not,"  I  retorted;  "but  I  have 
been  laid  up  for  nine  months,  and  do  not  expect 
to  go  back  to  the  service  at  present." 

"Wise  determination,  young  man,"  continued 
Deams,  "  very  wise.  Let  the  politicians  fight  it 
out,  I  say.  They  began  it." 

"Mr.  Deams,  if  you  have  no  better  opinions 
to  express,  I  must  wish  yon  good  morning." 

"Not   so   fast,   not    so    fast,   Mr.   Powers,"    re- 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  85 

turned  Deams,  composedly.  "  Every  one  to  his 
opinion,  and  you  are  welcome  to  yours.  I  wanted 
particularly  to  see  you;  very  particularly." 

"Indeed?" 

"  Yes.  I  have  some  business  matters  I  want 
you  to  take  hold  of  with  me.  Here  is  my  office; 
step  in  just  for  one  moment  (he  saw  I  hesitated), 
to  see  where  I  am." 

Mr.  Deams  led  the  way  into  a  small  basement 
room,  in  which  was  his  desk  and  one  or  two 
chairs. 

"  Good  enough  for  such  times  as  these,"  he 
observed,  carelessly.  "  No  rent  to  pay,  you  un 
derstand.  The  landlord  was  only  too  glad  to 
have  me  occupy  it ;  much  better  for  him  than  to 
leave  it  vacant,  which  is  the  situation  of  half  the 
offices  on  the  Street.  But  things  are  on  the  turn, 
mark  me,  I  say,  things  are  on  the  turn.  I  have 
been  here  the  whole  time  watching  for  it." 

I  might  have  remarked  before  that  Deams  was 
a  man  of  quick  observation,  by  no  means  deficient 
in  intellect,  and  with  his  long  and  varied  experi- 


86  HENEY  POWERS,  BAXKEK. 

ence,  not  a  bad  judge  of  affairs  generally.  His 
last  remark  struck  me,  but  I  made  no  reply. 

"I  want  you  to  dine  with  me  to-day,  at  five 

o'clock,"  he  continued  —  "sharp  five,"  and  Mr. 
Deams  placed  a  card  in  my  hand,  with  his  name 
and  address  handsomely  engraved  on  it. 

I  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then   said,  "I  will 


CHAPTER    XI. 

IT  is  an  old  proverb,  that  misery  makes  one 
acquainted  with  strange  bedfellows. 

I  would  never  have  believed  it,  had  it  been 
said  of  me  twelve  months  before,  that  I  should, 
on  such  a  day,  be  dining  with  Horace  Deams  as 
his  guest. 

I  felt  myself  above  this  man ;  first,  as  con 
nected  with  one  of  the  strongest  commercial 
houses  in  the  city;  again,  from  a  satisfied  sense 
of  personal  mercantile  integrity.  For  recollect, 
reader,  there  is  Pharisaism  in  affairs,  marked  and 
conspicuous;  quite  as  marked  and  conspicuous  as 
in  religion. 

While  walking  along  that  afternoon,  on  my 
way  to  the  residence  of  Deams,  which  I  was 
rather  surprised  to  find,  by  inspection  of  his  card, 
to  be  in  a  fashionable  quarter,  I  asked  my- 


88  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

self,  what  was  my  object  in  accepting  his  invita 
tion.  Honesty  compelled  me  to  answer  that  it 
was  because  I  hoped  to  derive  some  personal 
advantage  from  the  visit.  The  idea  humiliated 
me,  but  it  was  a  fact,  nevertheless.  Things  had 
so  changed,  that  I  was  hoping  for  something  to 
come  of  an  interview  with  a  man  I  had  despised, 
and,  I  may  say,  did  despise. 

I  was  learning  my  first  lesson. 
On  finding  the  number  indicated,  I  perceived 
it  to  be  a  first-class  boarding-house,  and  on  in 
quiring  for  Mr.  Deams,  at  the  door,  I  was  received 
by  the  man-servant  with  a  great  show  of  defer 
ence,  and  ushered  to  a  handsome  parlor  on  the 
second  floor,  where  a  table  was  elegantly  laid 
with  covers  for  two.  A  wine-cooler  stood  near, 
with  champagne. 

Presently  Deams  entered  from  a  side  door, 
which  I  perceived  led  to  his  sleeping-room. 

He  received  me  with  easy  politeness,  in  which 
was  mingled  a  kind  of  pomposity,  not  altogether 
unbecoming  his  large,  obese  form. 


HENRY  POWERS,    BANKER.  89 

"I  am  glad  to  find  you  are  punctual,"  he  ob 
served.  "Punctuality  in  all  tilings,  especially  in 
appointments,  more  especially  in  a  dinner  appoint 
ment  is  one  of  the  virtues." 

He  rang  the  bell.     "John,  serve  dinner." 

This  order  given,  Mr.  Deams  proceeded.  "Yes, 
punctuality  is  my  motto ;  without  it,  I  could 
never  get  through  the  numerous  operations  which 
crowd  upon  me — never." 

"I  thought  things  were  very  dull  at  present?" 
I  remarked. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  speak  of  the  moment,  I  refer, 
generally,  to  what  I  have  to  do ;  and  the  man 
does  not  exist  who  can  say  Horace  Deams  ever 
failed  to  meet  an  appointment.  But  here  is 
dinner." 

We  sat  down,  and  the  conversation,  for  a  time, 
was  nearly  suspended.  It  was  evident  Mr.  Deams 
had  the  tastes  of  an  epicure,  and  was  not  will 
ing  to  interrupt  his  gastronomic  delights  by  any 
attempt  at  discoursing,  of  which  he  was  usually 
so  fond. 


90  HENKY  POWERS,    BANKEB. 

As  Ms  appetite  gradually  became  less  demand 
ing,  he  began  to  season  the  repast  with  various 
observations,  oracularly  delivered,  until — the  des 
sert  and  wine  only  remaining  to  be  dealt  with — 
he  settled  into  a  species  of  homily  on  the  mor 
als  of  trade. 

I  felt  instinctively  that  the  old  fellow 
was  endeavoring  to  corrupt  me.  In  other 
words,  he  was  trying  to  alter  my  standard  of 
honesty. 

"Wait,"  said  he,  "till  you  have  had  my  ex 
perience,  and  you  will  see  things  as  they  are. 
My  family,  as  you  know,  are  of  the  highest 
respectability.  I  inherited  a  handsome  sum  from 
my  father,  who  brought  me  up  closely  to  busi 
ness  ;  and,  take  my  word  for  it,  there  was  not  a 
more  competent  or  more  active  young  man  in  the 
city.  I  was  established  early,  on  my  own  ac 
count,  as  partner  in  one  of  the  leading  houses — 
just  as  good  a  house,  my  young  friend,  as  that 
of  Gardner,  Lynde  &  Co.  before  they  failed." 

I  could  not  help  wincing  at  the  term  "failed," 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  91 

applied  to  such  a  castle  of  commercial  strength 
as  was  our  firm. 

"You  will  get  used  to  such  things  in  time," 
continued  Mr.  Deams,  seeing  that  I  changed 
color.  "Your  people  were  but  men,  and  their 
means,  like  those  of  every  merchant,  'in  supposi 
tion,'  as  Shakespeare  says,  and  'there  be  land- 
rats,  and  water-rats'  always  attempting  to  gnaw 
a  hole  into  them.  No  man  can  call  himself 
safe,  Mr.  Powers,  no  man." 

I  gave  an  assent  to  this  general  proposition. 

"  To  go  back  to  myself,"  continued  Mr.  Deams. 
"The  house  in  which  I  was  a  partner  suspended; 
went  all  to  flinders — Why?  -Not  because  we 
had  not  sufficient  capital  in  the  concern,  for  we 
had:  but  because  people  owed  us  more  than 
the  amount  of  that  capital,  and  wouldn't  or 
couldn't  pay.  I  tried  this  three  times,"  said 
Deams  with  a  melancholy  tone,  after  draining 
his  glass  of  champagne  and  refilling  it,  "three 
times  I  tried  it,  and  then — 'out.'  Now  I  want 
you  to  profit  by  my  experience." 


92  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

"It  seems  to  me  at  that  rate  I  should  not 
go  into  business  at  all,"  I  replied. 

"I  don't  say  you  would  not  be  right.  For 
it  is  a  mere  lottery,  with  nearly  all  blanks. 
Look  at  it,  you  spend  your  life  slaving  to  sup 
port  knaves,  who  cheat  you  out  of  your  money 
and  your  earnings," 

"Not  quite  so  bad  as  that  I  hope," 

"Yes  it  is.  There  is  no  real  honesty,  and 
not  a  particle  of  honor,  in  the  whole  ramifica 
tion  of  affairs." 

"I  can  not  hear  you  say  that  without  con 
tradiction,"  I  retorted,  with  some  warmth ;  "  I 
myself  know  to  the  contrary.  I  am  acquainted 
with  many  individuals  who  are  governed  in 
their  dealings  by  the  most  scrupulous  ideas  of 
honor  and  honesty." 

"All  conventional,  sir,"  returned  Deams,  waving 
his  hand,  as  if  brushing  my  remarks  aside, 
"nothing  but  conventional.  I  tell  you  mere  con 
ventional  morality,  is  the  morality  of  trade.  I 
know  what  you  are  going  to  say,"  he  continued, 


HENIIY  POWEKS,  BANKER.  93 

"I  know  all  the  sacrifices  the  merchant  is  ready 
to  make  to  meet  his  engagements,  how  he  strains 
every  nerve  to  sustain  his  credit.  Again  I 
ask  you,  why  ?  Because  not  to  meet  those 
engagements  ruins  him,  and  to  allow  his  credit 
to  suffer,  is  to  commit  suicide.  So,  keeping  up 
one's  credit  is  keeping  up  one's  self.  It  is  all 
selfishness,  nothing  but  selfishness — looking  out 
for  number  one.  Nothing  high-minded  or  honor 
able  about  it.  Talleyrand  gave  the  correct  defi 
nition  of  'business,'  when  he  declared  it  to  be 
'IS argent  cVautres' — other  folk's  money;  ha,  ha, 
ha;  other  folk's  money." 

The  working  in  of  this  little  scrap  of  French 
appeared  to  soothe  Mr.  Deams's  feelings,  for  he 
continued  in  a  much  less  excited  manner. 

As  I  saw  it  was  useless  to  discuss  the  sub 
ject  with  him,  I  endeavored  to  gradually  draw 
him  from  it.  This  was  not  easy.  He  evidently 
was  determined  to  finish  his  discourse.  At  the 
same  time,  he  mixed  so  much  shrewd  sense  with 
his  observations  and  his  arguments  to  prove  the 


91  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

morals  of  trade  were  any  thing  but  good  morals, 
showed  so  much  insight  in  the  motives  of  a 
large  class,  that  I  confess  I  listened  with  inter 
est,  while  I  shook  my  head  at  his  conclusions. 

Dinner  was  at  length  over.  Deams  lighted 
his  cigar,  after  offering  me  one,  and  wheeling 
his  chair  round  into  a  friendly  relation  with  mine, 
he  commenced :  "  Now,  Mr.  Powers,  for  what  I 
want  to  say  to  you.  This  present  state  of  stag 
nation  is  over:  things  begin  to  work.  We  are 
getting  on  a  war  basis.  We  shall  have  the 
largest  sort  of  operations  on  foot  growing  out 
of  it.  You  are  just  the  one  to  take  advan 
tage  of  this,  and  I  am  just  the  one  to  pilot  you. 
Speculation  will  begin  this  very  summer.  The 
Government  are  getting  ready  their  paper  money, 
and  it  will  put  every  thing  under  full  headway 
by  Fall.  Another  year  and  things  will  be  ram 
pant." 

"  What  prevents  your  taking  advantage  of  it  ?" 
I  asked. 

" c  Horace  Deams ' — I  mean  the  name — is  played 


HENRY  POWEKS,  BANKEK.  05 

out,  my  friend,  played  out.  I  am  making  an 
honest  confession.  It  no  longer  goes  current. 
I  can  not  conjure  with  it  as  I  used  to.  I 
know  how  to  originate,  how  to  plan,  and 
advise,  but  I  must  have  a  fresh  man  to  exe 
cute,  you  see.  The  speculative  world  likes  things 
with  new  faces,  and  new  men  to  operate  them, 
and  we  must  humor  it." 

I  did  not  manifest  the  least  enthusiasm  at 
the  announcement  of  Mr.  Deams's  proposition. 
On  the  contrary  I  maintained  an  ominous  si 
lence. 

"  You  certainly  do  not  misunderstand  me, 
when  speaking  of  myself,"  he  exclaimed,  in  a 
tone  of  some  alarm.  "  ~No  one  sustains  a  bet 
ter  social  position  in  this  city  than  I.  No  one 
has  a  higher  reputation  as  a  man  of  honor. 
But  old  enterprises  have  passed  away  and  old 
ideas.  This  is  a  new  era ;  an  era  of  new  men ; 
an  era,  I  may  say,  of  young  men.  I  hope, 
Mr.  Powers,  you  do  not  misunderstand  me  ?" 

"Oh,    no.      I    do    not    think,   however,   I   shall 


96  HENBY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

prove  a  good  hand  at  what  you  call  specula 
tion." 

"  The  very  best  in  the  world,  sir,  take  my 
word  for  it." 

"  What  makes  you  think  so." 

"  Well,"  replied  Deams,  hesitating  in  the  most 
natural  manner,  "I  really  do  riot  want  to  flatter 
you,  Mr.  Powers,  but  you  have  what  I  call  a  first- 
class  address." 

"  I  hope  you  mean  an  honest  address,"  said  I, 
unable  to  keep  from  laughing. 

"  That  is  just  what  I  do  mean,"  said  Deams, 
seriously. 

"And  you  do  not  expect  me,  I  hope,  to 
do  any  thing  dishonest  under  cover  of  this  ad 
dress  ?" 

"  Oh,  no,  no,  no,"  exclaimed  Deams  in  a  depre 
catory  tone,  coloring  at  the  same  time.  "  How 
oddly  you  take  matters." 

"Not  at  all.  I  wished  merely  to  arrive  at 
your  exact  meaning." 

"It  is  this,  Mr.   Powers.      Your  business   con- 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  97 

nections  are  good.  You  yourself  fresh,  active, 
and  persevering.  A  proper  enterprise  in  your 
hands — mark  you,  I  say,  a  good,  honest  enter 
prise  in  your  hands,  with  me  for  an  adviser, 
will  be  sure  to  succeed.  That  is  just  what  I 
mean." 

We  continued  the  conversation,  much  in  this 
way,  late  into  the  evening.  In  conclusion,  Mr. 
Deams  was  very  anxious  I  should  make  his  office 
my  head-quarters.  He  said  that  I  had  better 
spend  the  early  part  of  the  season  in  accustom 
ing  myself  to  the  ways  of  the  Street,  which  were 
not  to  be  learned  in  a  counting-room ;  and  that, 
although  things  were  dull,  I  could,  no  doubt, 
do  something  as  stock-broker,  "  which  is  always," 
said  Mr.  Deams,  soothingly,  "  respectable — highly 
respectable — quite  different  from  your  poor  devil 
of  a  note-broker." 

At  length  I  bade  my  new  friend  good-night, 
without  committing  myself  to  any  of  his  pro 
positions,  but  gave  a  partial  promise  to  call  on 
him  the  next  day. 


98  HENRY  FOWEES,   BANKER. 

As  I  walked  home  that  evening  I  felt  a 
sense  of  diminution  such  as  I  never  before  ex 
perienced.  It  was  in  consequence  of  my  com 
panionship  with  a  man  who  endeavored  to 
weaken  my  faith  in  human  nature ;  a  man  whose 
judgment  of  others  was  formed  by  always  at 
tributing  to  them  selfish  motives. 

Still  were  not  his  judgments  in  the  main  cor 
rect  ?  Perhaps  so,  but  the  rationale  was  a  low 
one. 

I  resolved  not  to  go  near  Mr.  Deams's  office, 
but  endeavor  to  secure  something  to  do  in  a 
mercantile  establishment. 

I  found  my  situation  very  different  from 
what  it  was  when  I  first  entered  New  York. 
Then,  as  a  youth  almost,  I  could  lay  my  hand 
to  any  thing;  could  take  up  with  any  thing  that 
would  honestly  procure  me  a  living.  Now,  as 
an  educated  merchant,  after  occupying  the  posi 
tion  I  had  done  with  Gardner,  Lynde  &  Co.,  it 
was  scarcely  consistent  with  my  self-respect  to 
begin  my  career  again  as  assistant  porter  or 


HENRY  POWERS,   BANKER.  99 

errand    boy,   even    if   I   could   get   such   a   place, 
which   a   lad   of    nineteen  could  much  better  fill. 

I  made  many  inquiries,  and  found  to  my 
mortification  that  Deams  had  not  exaggerated 
the  stagnation  in  trade. 

I  was  greatly  discouraged  and  out  of  spirits. 
The  small  amount  of  money  I  had  would  not 
last  long.  What  was  to  be  done  ! 

While  in  this  state  I  again  encountered 
this  man.  He  was  excessively  cordial.  He  made 
no  allusion  to  my  not  calling  on  him;  he  only 
asked  if  I  had  been  out  of  town,  and  said  he 
had  just  received  a  small  commission  to  execute 
for  the  purchase  of  some  merchandise,  which  he 
would  give  to  me,  as  it  was  quite  in  my  line. 
He  told  me  what  it  was,  and  I  proceeded  with 
him  to  his  office  to  get  the  particulars,  and  was 
delighted  to  find  the  matter  to  be  as  Deams  had 
stated. 

I  started  at  once  to  fill  the  order,  which  my 
knowledge  and  experience  enabled  me  to  do  in  a 
very  satisfactory  manner.  The  commission  earned 


100  HENRY   POWERS,    BANKER. 

was  not  large,  but  it  was  promptly  paid.  Deams 
indignantly  refused  to  share  it  with  me.  He  was 
only  happy  to  throw  something  in  my  way. 
He  was  sure  I  would  do  the  same  by  him  if 
opportunity  presented. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

I  will  not  weary  the  reader  with  the  details 
of  the  two  or  three  succeeding  months.  Indeed, 
I  can  not  myself  bear  to  recall  them. 

By  degrees  I  became  more  habituated  to  the 
society  of  Deams.  His  flow  of  spirits  was  con 
stant.  The  future  was  to  him  a  vast  treasure- 
house.  He  would  make  my  fortune  and  his  own 
long  before  another  twelvemonth  passed.  Mean 
time,  if  I  cared  to  trouble  myself  with  insignifi 
cant  commissions,  he  could  throw  plenty  of  them 
in  my  way.  In  fact,  he  sometimes  did  so. 

In  spite  of  my  mental  resistance,  the  man  be 
gan  to  take  the  position  of  benefactor.  It  is 
true,  I  had  no  respect  for  him,  and  he  must  have 
known  it,  but  alas!  I  began  to  have  less  and  less 
respect  for  myself. 


102  HENRY.  POWERS,  BANKER. 

I  used  to  wonder  how  Beams  got  the  money 
to  live  as  he  did,  and  at  length  I  asked  him  the 
question. 

He  laughed,  and  said,  "Do  you  remember 
Burke's  famous  apostrophe  to  the  credit  system  ?" 

"No." 

"You  should  read  it.  I  can  only  say  it 
meets  my  entire  approval." 

"  Do  you  mean  that  you  get  your  apartments 
without  paying  for  them?" 

"  I  shall  pay,  of  course,"  said  Deams,  "  but 
not  till  we  launch  one  of  the  many  great  enter 
prises  I  have  on  foot.  I  confess  I  owe  my  land 
lady  a  pretty  good  sum.  So  much  the  better. 
She  has  made  the  investment,  and  it  won't  do 
for  her  to  ask  me  to  quit,  lest  she  should  lose 
it.  I  keep  the  bait  always  before  her  and 
stay  on." 

"  Shameful,"  I  exclaimed,  — "  perfectly  shame 
ful  !" 

"How  so?"  said  Deams.  "Don't  I  tell  you 
I  intend  to  pay  her?  And  I  shall  add  a  hand- 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  103 

some   douceur  for  her  forbearance,  but   she  must 
wait — she  must  wait." 


When  I  left  Gardner,  Lynde  &  Co.,  I  thought 
I  knew  New  York  and  its  business,  and  the 
ways  of  doing  business ;  but  after  being  awhile 
in  Wall  Street  I  was  obliged  to  confess  myself  a 
novice. 

I  met  a  good  many  people  whom  I  knew, 
and  occasionally  was  -enabled  to  do  something 
in  a  legitimate  way.  Sometimes  I  was  made  a 
dupe  of,  but  not  twice,  I  think,  in  the  same  way. 

Once  an  old  fellow  by  the  name  of  Eli  Nich 
ols,  who  had  an  office  in  which  he  used  to 
"  shave "  notes  and  attend  to  various  transactions, 
gave  me  an  order  to  purchase  some  land  war 
rants  for  him  at  a  certain  price. 

I  went  industriously  about,  inquiring  for  them 
at  all  the  leading  brokers,  but  could  find  none, 
though  the  nominal  quotation  was  two  or  three 
per  cent,  below  my  limits.  I  reported  to  Nichols 
my  want  of  success* 


104:  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

He  thanked  me  for  the  trouble  I  had  taken, 
and  said  I  need  do  no  more  about  it.  I  after 
ward  learned  that,  at  that  time,  he  was  the  prin 
cipal  holder  of  land  warrants,  and  close  on  my 
inquiries,  had  sent  an  outside  "party"  to  every 
place  where  there  was  the  least  probability  of 
my  having  called,  and  offered  a  limited  amount 
of  these  very  warrants,  which  were  quickly  taken, 
in  the  expectation  of  selling  to  me.  The  old 
knave  in  this  way  disposed  of  about  five  hundred 
warrants,  and  cleared  at  least  fifteen  hundred  dol 
lars  by  his  morning's  work. 

Shortly  after  three  o'clock  there  was  quite  a 
rush  to  Nichols's  office  to  sell,  but  he  was  "not 
buying  at  present." 

As  the  reader  will  understand,  I  was  entirely 
innocent.  I  had  only  been  made  a  tool  of.  The 
affair  mortified  me  exceedingly,  but  I  made  no 
complaint  to  Nichols.  He  would  only  have 
laughed  at  me  had  I  done  so. 

Thus  the  weeks  slipped  by,  with  Deams  as  my 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  105 

chief  companion.  My  occupations  were  petty,  yet 
they  required  the  exercise  of  a  species  of  craft 
to  manage  them.  Whenever  I  allowed  myself  to 
think,  I  was  disgusted  with  them  and  with  myself. 
But  this  became  more  and  more  seldom.  There 
is  a  fascination  about  the  uncertain  rapid  changes 
of  the  Street  which  attracts  and  chains  one 
there  whenever  once  actually  engaged  in  them : 
and,  like  the  strange  spell  of  the  gambling-table, 
exercises  an  inexplicable  power. 

I  was  not  as  yet  making  enough  to  pay  my 
expenses.  Deams  continued  to  ridicule  my  in 
dustrious  habit  of  trying  to  do  something. 
"Wait,"  he  said,  "till  Fall,  and  you  shall  make 
all  the  money  you  want — all  you  want." 

It  was  on  a  ho':  Saturday  afternoon,  early  in 
July,  that,  after  a  particularly  profitless  week,  my 
spirits  sank  lower  than  usual.  It  was  in  vain 
Deams  endeavored  to  encourage  me.  At  last  he 
said :  "  Come,  let  us  run  down  to  Long  Branch 
and  spend  Sunday,  and  see  the  world  in  pleasure 

costume." 
5* 


106  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

I  assented  moodily.  We  got  on  board  the 
steamer  for  Port  Monmouth,  and  in  due  time 
were  landed  there ;  then,  taking  the  train,  we 
arrived  in  a  few  minutes  at  that  famous  place  of 
summer  resort. 

The  bracing  sea-air,  the  excitement  of  the 
scenery  around,  the  crowded  beach,  the  whirl  of 
handsome  carriages  along  it,  the  motley  groups 
of  bathers,  gave  a  new  direction  to  my  thoughts, 
and  for  the  time  I  forgot  my  other  self — the 
wretched  inhabitant  of  the  "  Street." 

By  Monday,  I  had  resolved  to  spend  two  or 
three  days  more  at  the  sea-shore,  and  let  Deams 
return  to  town  alone. 

He  assented  readily  and  with  entire  good 
nature,  and  I  was  left  to  my  enjoyment.  That 
was  indeed  great.  I  did  not  attempt  to  make 
acquaintances — I  had  no  desire  to  do  so — but  I 
quietly  mixed  in  the  crowd  or  took  my  solitary 
walk  along  the  shore  or  my  bath  in  old  ocean. 

The  beach,  as  most  of  my  readers  may  know, 

is  a  dangerous  one  for  those  who  venture   outside 
5* 


HKNRT   POWERS,  BANKER.  107 

the  prescribed  limits.  Nearly  every  year  some 
one,  from  folly  or  negligence,  goes  beyond  and 
perishes. 

I  was  a  good  swimmer.  I  had  learned  in  the 
swift  and  sometimes  treacherous  current  of  the  Con 
necticut.  It  was  with  a  real  zest  that  I  threw 
myself  into  the  surf  and  watched  the  course  of 
the  waves  and  breasted  the  dreaded  "  undertow." 

Wednesday  came  before  I  could  realize  a  day 
had  passed;  Wednesday,  when  I  was  to  return 
to  New  York.  I  resolved  on  one  more  grand 
swim ;  I  should  just  have  time  to  take  it  and 
get  ready  for  the  train. 

It  was  a  little  past  eleven.  The  surf  was  alive 
with  human  beings.  What  a  masquerade !  Age 
and  sex  would  seem  to  be  perfectly  disguised  in 
the  strange-looking  dresses  of  every  possible  de 
scription,  form,  and  color.  A  great  many  of  these 
were  fanciful  and  expensive,  and  all  were  grotesque. 
I  suppose  the  line  of  bathers  extended  up  and  down 
for  nearly  two  miles — a  curious  sight.  Everybody 
was  in  the  noisiest  spirits;  an  odd  scene,  indeed. 


108  HENBY   POWEKS,  BANKER. 

I  had  taken  my  last  plunge,  and  was  slowly 
and  reluctantly  coming  in  shore,  when  there  was 
a  kind  of  lull  in  the  frolic  of  the  merry  makers. 
A  portentous  murmur  passed  along  the  line, 
Soon  it  took  articulate  shape. 

"  There  she  is  !"  "  Where  ?"  "  Which  way  ?" 
"  Good  God  !  it  is  not  possible."  "  What  is  it  ?" 

ft 

"  What  has  happened  ?"  "  A  lady  carried  out !" 
"  Oh !  won't  somebody  help  ?"  "  Can  nothing  be 
done!"  "Where  is  a  boat?"  "Can't  some  one 
get  a  boat?" 

All  this,  mingled  with  various  cries  and  ex-* 
clamations,  fell  on  my  ear  in  the  space  of  an.  in^ 
stant. 

Asking  a  person  near  me,  who  appeared  less 
excited  than  the  rest,  where  the  lady  had  disap-> 
peared,  I  took  my  resolution.  I  had  previously 
gained  a  pretty  accurate  knowledge  of  the  sweep 
of  the  undertow  which  did  not  run  at  once 
ward  but  was  drawn  to  the  south,  in  the  di 
tion  where  I  was  standing,  in  a  deep,  powerful 
current. 


HENKY  POWERS,  BANKER.  109 

I  struck  out  boldly  toward  the  point  I  judged 
she  would  be  carried  to.  No  one  not  familiar 
with  such  scenes  can  imagine  the  difficulties  I 
had  to  encounter.  The  continuous  break  of  the 
waves  over  my  head  blinded  me,  and  would  have 
immediately  strangled  any  one  not  accustomed  to 
the  water. 

I  could  not  see.  I  could  only  grasp  wildly 
round.  I  perceived  my  strength  to  be  failing, 
and  I  was  losing  courage,  when  a  clear  voice 
from  the  shore  sounded  over  the  waters — "  To 
the  right!  more  to  the  right!"  This  put  new 
life  in  me.  I  struck  to  the  right  accordingly. 
"Not  quite  so  far!"  "There!"  "There!" 
"  Just  before  you  !  " 

Thus  far  I  had  seen  no  sign  or  trace  of  the 
object  of  my  search.  Now,  as  the  crest  of  the 
last  wave  broke  over  me,  I  perceived  on  the  top 
of  the  succeeding  one  a  something,  rag  or  sea 
weed,  or  broken  branch ;  something  which,  the 
next  moment  clutching,  I  found  was  a  human  being. 


1 10  HENBY  POWERS,  BANKEE. 

I  had  still  strength  enough  to  secure  my 
prize,  and  sufficient  appreciation  to  turn  not 
directly  to  the  shore,  but  diagonally,  so  that  I 
should  not  encounter  the  whole  force  of  the  un 
dertow,  and  yet  gradually  work  myself  toward 
the  beach.  I  remember  little  else,  except  the  rush 
of  a  flood,  a  cataract,  then  a  sense  of  delight, 
almost  ecstatic,  and  all  was  still. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

MY  next  sensations  were  terrible.  I  can 
compare  them  to  nothing,  unless  to  the  im 
agined  horrors  caused  by  the  wrangling  of  fiends 
in  possession  of  one's  soul.  No  hitherto  de 
scribed  agonies  of  death  were  equal  to  what  I 
suffered  in  coming  to  life. 

At  last  I  opened  my  eyes.  I  was  in  a 
large  airy  apartment,  where  every  thing  appeared 
pleasant  and  comfortable.  I  essayed  to  speak, 
but  was  prevented  by  the  physician.  I  looked 
toward  a  lady  who  stood  watching  me  with 
apparent  solicitude.  She  seemed  to  anticipate 
what  was  passing  in  my  mind,  for  she  said, 
"You  have  saved  one  life,  you  must  not  en 
danger  your  own  by  any  exertion." 

I  was  satisfied.  Closing  my  eyes  again,  I 
fell  into  a  profound  slumber.  I  did  not  awake 


112  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

till  evening.  I  felt  quite  well,  though  I  was 
weak.  It  was  evident  I  was  receiving  the  most 
careful  attention,  for  no  sooner  did  I  stir  than 
a  kind-looking  woman,  who  was  acting  as  nurse, 
offered  me  a  soothing  draught,  which  I  drank 
eagerly.  Then  she  asked  how  I  felt.  I  was 
permitted  to  speak  now,  and  I  replied  "Per 
fectly  well,  and  very  hungry." 

"How  is  the  lady?"    I  asked. 

"She  is  getting  on  remarkably,  though  it 
would  doubtless  have  killed  an  older  person." 

"Is  it  a  child?"  I  inquired,  carelessly. 

"  Then  you  do  not  know  who  it  is  you  have 
saved?" 

"  No." 

"  Have  you  no  curiosity  about  it  ?" 

"  Not  very  much." 

"I  must  tell  you,  though.  One  of  the  most 
beautiful  young  ladies  that  ever  lived.  Ever  so 
rich;  and  the  very  top  of  the  fashion.  A  New 
Yorker  besides,  Miss  Worth,  Hiss  Mary 
Worth." 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  '113 

How  much  further  the  nurse  might  have 
gone  in  her  description  I  do  not  know,  but 
the  doctor  entering  cut  it  short.  To  his  in 
quiries  I  replied  that  I  believed  I  was  perfectly 
well,  only  suffering  from  hunger.  However,  he 
permitted  me  to  eat  but  sparingly,  with  the 
promise  of  further  liberty  the  next  day. 

I  closed  my  eyes  to  keep  the  nurse  from 
talking.  I  wanted  to  enjoy  the  pleasure  of 
thinking.  "Miss  Worth:  Miss  Mary  Worth." 
I  knew  very  well  who  she  was — as  the  nurse 
said,  a  very  rich  and  fashionable  young  lady. 
Her  father,  Marmaduke  Worth,  President  of  the 
Bank  of  Mutual  Safety,  and  one  of  the  capital 
ists  of  New  York.  He,  with  his  family,  attended 
the  same  church  I  had,  myself,  selected  when 
first  coming  to  New  York.  Yes,  I  knew  Miss 
Worth  well  by  sight,  and  should  have  greatly 
admired  her,  doubtless,  for  she  was  considered 
the  most  beautiful  girl  in  a  congregation  where 
there  were  a  great  number  of  beauties,  had  I 
not  steeled  my  heart  like  a  flint  against  any  such 


114:  '  HENEY  POWEES,  BANKEK. 

fascination.      Besides,   I  was   too   proud   to    think 
of  any  rich  girl  until  I  myself  was  rich. 

I  lay  in  a  charming  reverie.  "  O  yes,  I 
recollect  her  perfectly,  every  feature,  how  she 
dresses,  the  hat  she  wears,  she  is  rather  tall, 
not  too  tall,  "beautiful  form,  such  a  complexion. 
I  remember  her  eyes,  too.  She  half  bowed  to 
me  once,  from  long  habit,  I  suppose,  seeing  me 
in  church.  I  took  no  notice  of  it;  rather  savage 
that.  And  I  have  saved  her,  that  very  girl. 
Had  it  not  been  for  me,  she  would  now — she 
is  alive  and  not  injured — that  lovely — saved — 
very  beautiful" 

The  reverie  I  have  endeavored  to  jot  down 
ran  gradually  into  dream,  ending  in  sound  sleep. 

The  second  day  I  felt  so  well  that  I  rose 
and  dressed  myself,,  and  bade  good-bye  to  my 
nurse  and  physician.  I  walked  slowly  over  to 
the  hotel  where  the  Worths  were  staying,  and 
inquired  of  the  health  of  Miss  Worth.  The 
mother  came  into  the  room  immediately.  I  recog- 


HENRY  POWEKS,    BANKER.  115 

it 

nized  her  as  the  person  who  had  enjoined  pru 
dence  on  me  the  first  day.  After  seeing  her 
daughter  in  safety,  she  had  come  to  see  that  I 
was  properly  cared  for.  Mr.  Worth  shortly 
entered  the  room.  I  will  not  repeat  the  extrava 
gant  expressions  of  gratitude  which  the  lady 
uttered. 

"  We  owe  you  every  thing,  Mr.  Powers,  in  owing 
to  you  our  daughter's  preservation,"  said  Mrs. 
Worth.  "To  think  of  that  wretched  creature," 
she  exclaimed,  "who  first  persuaded  Mary  to  ven 
ture  farther,  and  then  abandoned  her  to  her  fate: 
the  poltroon  who  was  always  boasting  of  what 
he  could  do  in  the  water." 

It  was  embarrassing  to  be  made  the  recipi 
ent  of  such  a  shower  of  thanks  and  blessings 
as  Mrs.  Worth  poured  on  me.  Mr.  Worth  stood 
by  in  silence.  At  length  his  wife  paused,  when 
he  took  occasion  to  express  himself  in  a  most 
heartfelt  manner. 

"I  can  not  feel  that  I  am  in  any  way  de 
serving  such  demonstrations,"  I  said.  "I  did  as 


116  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

any  one  would  have  done  in  my  situation.  I 
heard  that  a  lady  was  carried  away  by  the 
undertow — I  did  not  know  who — and  being  ac 
customed  to  the  water,  did  what  was  most  natu 
ral.  I  beg  you  not  to  consider  yourselves  under 
any  obligation  to  me  personally." 

"Just  think  of  that  Manning,"  broke  in  Mrs. 
"Worth. 

"  Who  is  he  ?"  I  asked. 

"  He  is  the  young  gentleman,"  said  Mr.  Worth 
calmly,  "  who  accompanied  Miss  Worth  to  bathe; 
He  has  the  reputation  of  being  an  excellent 
swimmer." 

"And  stood  by  quietly  to  see  Mary  drown," 
exclaimed  Mrs.  Worth. 

"Let  us  say  no  more  about  it,"  said  her 
husband.  "  Our  daughter  is  safe,  and  if  you 
will  call  to-morrow  she  will  be  able,  I  hope,  to 
thank  you  in  person." 

Despite  my  resolve  against  it,  I  thought  of 
little  else  except  the  next  day's  interview.  I 
did  every  thing  to  kill  the  time  till  then.  It 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  117 

was  useless  to  conceal  a  certain  agitation  as  I 
sent  my  name  in,  and  was  ushered  into  the 
private  parlor. 

Miss  Worth  rose  to  greet  me  in  an  unaf 
fected  manner;  she  had  scarcely  grasped  my 
hand,  however,  before  she  burst  into  tears.  Her 
mother  appeared  much  alarmed  as  she  made  her 
sit  down. 

Miss  Worth  soon  recovered  her  composure, 
and  looking  up,  she  said  very  naturally,  "Excuse 
me,  I  could  not  help  it." 

I  had  a  very  happy  interview.  After  the 
first  few  minutes  the  conversation  took  a  famil 
iar  turn  and  flowed  easily. 

Miss  Worth  gave  me  an  account  of  how  stie 
came  in  so  great  peril.  She  was  standing,  she 
said,  with  Mr.  Manning  who  had  hold  of  her 
hand,  and  who  had  assured  her  there  was  no 
danger,  when  she  suddenly  felt  herself  feorne 
off  her  feet  and  carried  away. 

"Were  you  conscious  when  I  seized  you?" 

"Yes.      From  the  first   I   did   not  attempt  to 


118  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

struggle,  and  in  this  way  I  think  I  retained 
my  consciousness." 

The  morning  call  lasted  over  an  hour — it 
seemed  to  me  a  minute — when  I  left,  promising 
to  repeat  my  visit  the  following  day. 

In  this  way  one  day  succeeded  another,  dur 
ing  which  my  intercourse  with  Miss  Worth 
became  more  and  more  free  and  unrestricted. 
She  was  now  well  enough  to  take  the  usual 
walks  along  the  beach,  in  which  I  was  always  her 
companion.  Two  weeks  glided  by  literally  with 
out  my  being  aware  of  it.  I  forgot  my  condi 
tion,  my  surroundings,  my  very  self,  in  her  society. 
I  can  not  now  recollect  how  I  acted  or  what  I 
said,  for  it  was  one  prolonged  halcyon  dream. 

I  was  rudely  wakened  from  it  one  morning 
by  overhearing  a  conversation  in  the  corridor 
into  which  my  room  opened.  It  happened  my 
door  was  ajar,  and  I  could  not  shut  my  ears 
to  what  was  passing  between  two  young  men. 

I  soon  perceived  I  was  the  subject  of  their 
remarks. 


HENHY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

"He  will  feather  his  nest,  and  no  mistake," 
said  one. 

"That's  a  fact.  It  was  what  I  call  a  lucky 
swim." 

"I  wouldn't  have  taken  it,  though,  for  all 
the  girls  in  New  York." 

"Perhaps  not,  but  Powers  knows  the  surf 
like  a  book." 

"They  say  they  are  to  be  married  this  fall." 

"Yes,  but  the  old  fellow  don't  like  the  idea 
at  all.  Would  rather  give  Powers  a  cool  twenty- 
five  thousand,  and  balance  the  account  in  that 
way.  The  mother,  I  am  told,  goes  in  for  Powers." 

"And  the  girl?" 

"  Oh,  she  is  all  right,  of  course." 

"  Shouldn't  care  about  earning  a  wife  that 
way." 

"Nor  I.  A  Newfoundland  dog  might  have 
done  as  good  service." 

"That's  a  fact." 

A  sickness  came  over  me.  I  walked  to  the 
window  for  air. 


120  HEXKT   POWERS,    BANKER. 

Swiftly  it  was  all  revealed.  The  old  hard 
destiny  stared  me  in  the  face. 

I  decided  at  once  on  my  course.  The  train 
would  leave  in  half  an  hour.  I  walked  to  the 
hotel  where  the  Worths  were  staying.  It  was 
too  early  for  a  call:  so  much  the  better.  I 
sent  my  card  for  Mr.  Worth.  He  came  down. 
I  told  him  I  was  there  to  say  good-bye,  and 
asked  him  to  have  the  kindness  to  give  my 
adieus  to  His  wife  and  daughter. 

Despite  his  real  politeness,  I  could  see  an 
evident  expression  of  relief  overspread  his  counte 
nance. 

"The  ladies  will  be  sorry  not  to  see  you, 
Mr.  Powers,"  he  said.  "  I  will  communicate-  your 
message.  When  we  return  to  town  we  shall 
expect  to  meet  you.  And," —  here  he  hesitated, 
"if — if  I  can  be  of — of  any  service  to  you  in — 
in  affairs,  may  I  ask  it  as  a  favor,  my  dear 
sir,  that  you  will  command  me?" 

I  gulped  down  an  indignant  reply,  for  the 
words  I  heard  in  the  morning  were  sounding 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  121 

in    my    ears,    and    said    as    calmly  as    I    could, 
"Thank  you,"  and  thus  the  interview  ended. 

Iii  twenty  minutes  I  was  driving  toward  the 
station.  I  turned  and  gave  one  glance  at  the 
room  I  knew  was  occupied  by  Miss  Worth. 
The  window  was  thrown  open,  and  a  fair  hand 
waved  an  adieu  from  it 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

THE  adventure  at  Long  Branch  happened  just 
as  I  was  five  and  twenty.  That  extra  salt-water 
bath  brought  about  a  partial  crisis  in  my  destiny. 

My  impression  is  that  just  at  that  time  I  was 
fast  lapsing  into  a  mere  hanger-on  of  Wall 
Street  ;  half  reconciled  to  the  idea  of  living 
from  hand  to  mouth,  and  becoming  less  and  less 
particular  as  to  the  method  of  raising  the  means. 

I  did  not  then  have  any  such  opinion  of  my 
self,  but  now  looking  back  to  the  period,  I  do  it 
with  something  like  a  shudder,  for  I  can  see  just 
what  I  escaped. 

The  fact  is,  although,  as  I  have  before  re 
marked,  I  did  not  sympathize  with  the  views  of 
life  entertained  and  promulgated  by  Deams,  al 
though  I  could  not  call  him  an  honest  man,  even 
after  a  tolerably  low  standard  of  honesty,  yet, 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  123 

consenting  to  act  with  him,  at  least  to  co-operate 
with  him,  I  was  insensibly  drifting  down  to  his 
standard  and  falling  in  with  his  notions  of  mo 
rality ;  which,  as  the  reader  understands,  were  of 
"  The  world  owes  me  a  living  "  school ;  when  the 
terrible  undertow  of  old  ocean  gave  me  a  surge 
in  the  opposite  direction. 

Then  was  swiftly,  suddenly  exhibited  to  me, 
just  a  glimpse  of  the  great  BEYOND,  and  my  feel 
ings  were  still  too  fresh  not  to  receive  a  sharp 
impression  from  the  PRESENT. 

Besides  —  Mary  Worth.  No  matter  what 
should  come  of  so  peculiar  an  introduction,  even 
should  nothing  come  of  it,  as  was  most  likely,  in 
deed  proper,  still  an  event  of  my  life  was  irrev 
ocably  interwoven  with  an  event  of  the  life  of  a 
beautiful  young  girl;  one  in  whom  already  I  had, 
despite  myself,  taken  a  romantic  interest;  an  in 
terest  such  as  only  young  persons  can  appreciate; 
and  with  whom  I  was  unexpectedly  associated  in 
an  occurrence  never  to  be  obliterated  from  her 
memory. 


121  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

The  thought  of  Deams  in  this  connection  was 
absolutely  abhorrent  to  me. 

During  my  journey  homeward,  I  took  a  new 
survey  of  the  situation.  "What  does  Deams  want 
of  me?  What  does  he  expect  from  the  connec 
tion?  After  all,  am  I  not  to  become  his  dupe 
when  the  occasion  serves,  just  as  Eli  Nichols 
made  a  tool  of  me  in  the  matter  of  the  land- 
warrants  ? 

Again:  was  it  really  to  be  credited  that,  as 
Deams  would  have  me  suppose,  there  was  nothing 
going  on  in  Wall  Street  but  "Pitch  and  toss," 
and  no  rule  of  the  game  but  "  Heads  I  win,  tails 
you  lose,"  "Hardest  fend  off,"  and  so  forth? 
Were  there  not  enterprises  requiring  quick  wit, 
energetic  action,  firm  nerve,  and  praiseworthy  pru 
dence,  which  should  partake  neither  of  trick,  hum 
bug,  or  rascality  ?  Why,  then,  should  I  allow  a 
shallow  pretender,  thrice  broken  in  fortune  and 
of  doubtful  integrity,  to  take  advantage  of  my 
fresh  strength  and  buoyant  feelings  and  uninjured 
name? 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  125 

It  was  with  such  reflections  that  I  was  pre 
pared  to  enter  New  York  once  more. 

The  recollection  of  Mary  Worth  at  the  win 
dow,  and  of  her  parting  salutation,  determined 
me,  and  with  the  strength  of  a  Hercules  bracing 
every  nerve,  I  resolved  to  renew  the  contest 
with  other  plans-  and  firmer  hopes  and  more 
honest  appliances,  And  so  I  came  to  the  great 
Babel  again, 


CHAPTER    XV. 

READER,  I  wish  I  could  stop  here  !  You  be 
hold  me  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  a  fresh,  unhack 
neyed  and  honest  resolution.  But  what  says  the 
proverb  ?  "  Hell  is  paved  with  good  intentions." 
It  were  a  pleasant  way  to  round  a  stojry,  to  de 
pict  to  you  how  this  sudden  change  wove  a  new 
web  for  my  future,  and  left  nothing  for  me  to 
do  but  rise  rapidly  in  the  scale  under  the  effect 
of  these  new  impulses,  and  of  the  patronage  and 
assistance  of  Marmaduke  Worth,  President  of  the 
Bank  of  Mutual  Safety. 

I  have  a  pretty  long  history  to  recount  before 
I  can  indulge  in  any  such  record,  if,  indeed,  any 
such  is  to  come.  Not  that  my  late  resolves  were 
cast  aside.  Oh,  no.  I  had  taken  a  wrong  step 
by  my  connection  with  Deams,  and  it  was  not 
so  easy  to  retrace  it. 

On    reaching  town,    that    individual    was    the 


HENRY  POWERS,   BANKER.  127 

first  to  welcome  me.  I  found  him  at  my  lodg 
ings,  waiting  my  coming,  as  he  knew  I  was  to 
arrive  that  afternoon. 

His  treatment  of  me  was  so  flattering,  his 
manner  so  kind,  I  may  say  so  deferential,  that  I 
lost  sight  of  the  unpleasant  thoughts  I  had  enter 
tained  of  him,  or  if  remembered,  it  was  with 
self-reproach  that  I  could  do  an  unfortunate  man 
so  much  injustice, 

Deams  had  heard  very  full  accounts  of  the 
Long  Branch  adventure.  The  journals  were  filled 
with  it,  and  my  exertions,  severe  as  they  really 
were,  had  been  magnified  to  grace  their  columns. 

Deams  had  placed  the  files,  which  he  had 
carefully  preserved,  on  my  table,  and  I  read,  dis 
played  in  immense  headings,  with  double  leads : 

"EXTRAORDINARY  OCCURRENCE 

AT 

LONG  BRANCH. 

Display  of  Marvelous  Strength,  Dexterity, 
and  Heroism. 


128  HENRY  POWEES,  BANKER. 

A  YOUNG  LADY  SAVED  FROM  THE  JAWS 

OF    DESTRUCTION.        A    RESCUE    AFTER 

BEING  SWEPT  OUT  INTO  THE  OCEAN. 

HENRY    POWERS,  Esq., 

A  Young  New  Yorker,  the  Hero. 
Miss   MARY   WORTH,   DAUGHTER    OF    MARMADUKE 
WORTH,   ESQ.,  PRESIDENT  OF   THE   BANK   OF  MU 
TUAL  SAFETY,  THE  YOUNG  LADY  SAVED." 

Following  these  announcements  were  "  Details 
by  an  Eye-witness" — "Further  Details" — "A  Cor 
rection" — "An  additional  Correction;"  which  last 
stated  "  positively  and  on  the  very  best  authority, 
that  Mr.  Algernon  Manning  did  NOT  make  any 
attempt  to  save  Miss  Worth,  but  devoted  himself 
solely  to  secure  his  own  safety." 

"You  see,  you  see,"  said  Deams  triumphantly. 
"I  always  considered  you  a  trump.  I  saw  'luck' 
in  your  face  the  first  moment  I  met  you,  but  I 
did  not  think  you  would  throw  double  sixes  so 
soon." 

Although  I  could  not  but  be  flattered  by 
what  I  read,  the  observation  of  Deams  sounded 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  129 

coarse  and  repulsive.  When,  therefore,  he  went 
on  to  say :  "  Powers,  this  affair  is  worth  more  to 
us  than  a  cash  deposit  to  our  credit  of  fifty 
thousand  dollars,"  my  late  disgust  and  suspicion 
revived. 

"  How  so  ?  "    I  asked,  curtly, 

"Why,  don't  you  understand,"  he  replied, 
with  an  air  of  triumph,  "that  the  favor  of  Mar- 
madtfke  Worth  is  the  best  capital  you  can  have 
to  work  on  in  the  Street  ? " 

"Do  you  think  I  would  take  advantage  of 
it?"  I  exclaimed  scornfully. 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  you  wouldn't  take  ad 
vantage  of  it?"  retorted  Deams,  holding  his 
breath. 

"That  is  just  what  I  mean  to  say,  Mr. 
Deams,"  was  my  defiant  response. 

"Then  you  are  an  idiot,  and  no  mistake,"  was 
the  rejoinder. 

I  saw  the  folly  of  an  altercation  with  Deams, 
and,  on  the  other  hand,  he  had  no  disposition  to 
enter  on  one  with  me,  so  after  a  few  words,  the 

6* 


130  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

subject  was  changed,  he  no  doubt  believing  I 
could  in  time  be  induced  to  embrace  his  sugges 
tions,  while  I  felt  sure  I  should  never  bring  my 
self  to  so  debasing  a  situation. 

Another  matter  perhaps  insensibly  weighed 
with  me,  when  I  decided  it  was  foolish  to  fall 
out  with  Deams.  I  had  returned  from  Long 
Branch,  after  paying  my  bills,  with  scarcely  five 
dollars  in  my  pocket.  Going  there  to  spend  Sun 
day,  I  remained  two  weeks,  and  the  small  sum 
which  I  possessed  had  melted  clean  away. 

How  difficult,  from  very  highest  to  very  low 
est,  to  get  rid  of  an  association  once  formed. 

I  found  myself,  in  spite  of  myself,  that  very 
evening  in  close  consultation  with  Deams  about 
two  or  three  enterprises,  where  I  could  not  avoid 
perceiving  that  the  most  was  to  be  made  of  the 
fact  that  my  name  was  "  free  and  clear ; "  which 
means,  reader,  that  I  had  never  failed  in  busi 
ness,  and  owed  nothing. 

"  By  Jove,"  said  Deamsy  "  I  wish  I  stood  in 
your  shoes,  Powers;  I  mean  financially.  Wouldn't 


HENRY  POWERS,.  BANKER.  131 

1  make  a  fortune,  though!  Why,  a  man  who 
owes  nothing  and  has  three  cents  over,  can  pass 
for  a  millionaire." 

With  all  the  nonsense  Deams  was  in  the 
habit  of  uttering,  he  frequently  let  drop  a  sen 
tence  which  served  to  set  me  thinking.  This  ob 
servation  was  one  of  that  kind.  I  recorded  it  in 
my  memorandum  book,  and  it  was  of  use  to  me 
on  future  occasions. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Deams,  if  you  could  make  a  for 
tune  were  you  in  my  place,  you  can  doubtless 
instruct  me  how  to  make  one,"  I  responded 
pleasantly. 

"  Of  course  I  can,"  he  replied ;  "  that  is  what 
we  are  together  for.  I  have,  as  you  see,  several 
enterprises  on  hand.  In  a  few  days  I  shall 
decide  which  will  draw  best,  and  we  will  then 
set  to  work." 

"  Meanwhile — " 

"Meanwhile  what?"  interrupted  Deams,  sharp 
ly,  as  if  suspicious  that  I  was  about  to  raise  fur 
ther  objections. 


132  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

"  Meanwhile,  nothing,"  I  answered,  "  except 
that  I  am  out  of  money." 

"Is  that  all,"  said  Deams.  "Don't  let  that 
distress  you.  I  will  put  you  all  right  to-morrow. 
Depend  on  me  for  that." 

The  next  day  Deams  handed  me,  for  my 
signature,  a  beautifully  prepared  "  promissory 
note,"  in  which  the  maker,  myself,  promised  to 
pay  to  the  order  of  Ezeldel  Hubbard,  sixty  days 
after  date,  the  sum  of  five  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars,  value  received. 

"Sign  this,"  said  Deams,  "and  I  will  get  you 
the  money  in  fifteen  minutes." 

"  Where  ?  " 

"  Never  you  mind  where,  the  money  will  come, 
I  have  already  arranged  for  it." 

"  Mr.  Worth  ?  "  I  asked  suspiciously. 

"Don't  be  such  a  fool,  I  beg  of  you,"  said 
Deams,  with  an  injured  air.  "  Mr.  Worth,  you 
know,  is  not  in  town,  and  do  you  think  I  would 
attempt  such  a  thing  after  what  you  have  said  ?" 

"But   I   don't    want    five    hundred    and    fifty 


HENKY   POWERS,  BANKER.  133 

dollars.  If  I  must  attempt  to  borrow,  fifty  is  the 
most  I  should  apply  for." 

"  Which  would  at  once  destroy  your  credit," 
retorted  Deams.  "Henry  Powers  borrowing  fifty 
dollars,  indeed  !  I  should  like  to  see  him  try  it 
as  long  as  I  am  his  friend.  The  fact  is,"  con 
tinued  Deams  confidentially,  "I  am  a  trifle  be 
hind  myself.  I  want,  say,  a  couple  of  hundred 
dollars;  I  will  stand  all  the  shave.  In  sixty 
days  people  will  be  back  in  town,  and  our  com 
pany  under  way ;  we  shall  then  have  all  the  cash 
we  require  for  any  purpose." 

"  But  why  don't  you  have  this  note  drawn  to 
your  order  ?  And  who,  pray,  is.  Ezekiel  Hubbard  ?" 
- "  Do  you  not  understand  that  my  name  would 
kill  the  paper?  Every  one  knows  there  are  lots 
of  judgments  against  me,  and  nobody  knows  any 
thing  against  Ezekiel  Hubbard,  I'll  be  bound," 
said  Deams,  laughing. 

"But  who  is  he?" 

"  No  matter  who  he  is.  I  will  tell  you,  though, 
as  a  joke.  He  is  the  old  fellow  who  saws  wood 


134  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

and  does  odd  jobs  for  me  at  the  house,  and  he 
makes  a  first-rate  indorsement,  no  mistake  about 
it,"  and  Deams  laughed  again. 

I  was  learning  rapidly.  The  great  lesson  was, 
for  Wall  Street  uses,  to  keep  your  name  so  at 
least  nothing  can  be  said  against  it;  and  I  made 
another  note  of  that,  marking  it  specially  im 
portant. 

"So  you  will  not  tell  now  where  the  money 
is  to  come  from?" 

"Yes  I  will,  though,"  said  Deams  quickly, 
"and  then  you  will  have  the  whole  story.  Eli 
Nichols  will  give  it  to  me." 

"How  much  off?" 

"  Fifty  dollars,"  said  Deams  stoutly. 

"Which  you  propose  to  lose?" 

"Yes." 

"How  can  you  afford  it?" 

"  Why,  am  I  not  to  have  over  thirteen  thou 
sand  dollars  early  in  September  from  one  of  the 
matters  we  talked  over  last  night  ? "  exclaimed 
Deams  triumphantly ;  "  and  do  you  think  I  mind 


HENKY   POWERS,  BANKET?.  135 

a  trifle  like  this  if  it  serves  to  give  you  a  lift, 
and  keep  us  both  easy  until  then  ?  " 

"Well,  for  my  part,"  I  rejoined,  "I  don't 
like  this  at  all ;  however,  I  will  think  it  over 
and  decide  to-morrow." 

To-morrow?  There  is  the  mistake.  We  hesi 
tate  and  cry  to-morrow,  and  when  it  comes, 
there  is,  alas,  no  improvement  over  yesterday. 
On  the  contrary,  the  necessity  is  stronger;  wre 
see  a  way  out  of  the  immediate  distress,  and 
we  accept  the  present  relief,  unmindful  of  what 
is  to  come  of  it. 

Deams  practiced  the  usual  trick  of  his  kind ; 
he  undertook  to  serve  my  wants  and  mixed  his 
own  larger  ones  up  with  them,  thus  involving 
me  to  an  extent  in  his  necessities  while  appear 
ing  to  relieve  mine. 

It  requires  a  good  deal  of  assurance,  certainly, 
to  profess  to  be  doin^  one  a  great  and  needful 
service,  when  in  reality  you  are  actually  extorting 
a  favor  instead;  but  Deams  was  not  lacking  in 
impudence,  and  I  yielded,  almost  without  know- 


136  HENRY   POWEBS,  BANKER. 

ing  why,  and  against  my  better  judgment,  to  his 
suggestion. 

I  thought  much  about  it,  however;  indeed, 
that  night  I  slept  very  little. 

"What  if  I  am  somewhat  behind?"  I  said  to 
myself,  "I  have  several  friends  who  would  not 
hesitate  to  lend  me  a  small  sum.  Why  not  borrow 
it?  In  a  few  days  I  can  make  it  good."  Then 
pride  interposed,  while  Deams'  subtle  argument 
came  to  mind,  that  to  borrow  a  small  sum  would 
injure  my  credit. 

In  short,  it  was  by  a  moral  weakness  such 
as  ninety-nine  of  a  hundred  exhibit,  that  I  de 
cided  to  embrace  Deams'  offer. 

So  the  note  was  signed,  and  Ezekiel  Hubbard 
indorsed  it,  and  the  same  day  Deams  gave  me, 
as  agreed  upon,  three  hundred  dollars.  How 
much  he  received  I  never  knew,  but  I  dare  say 
Eli  Nichols  retained  a  hundred  dollars  instead  of 
fifty. 

Yes,  I  had  the  three  hundred  dollars ;  but,  per 
contra,  time  was  running  away  with  the  sixty 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  137 

days,  when  five  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  were  to 
be  paid.  Would  Deams  be  ready  with  his  por 
tion  ?  I  was  sufficiently  doubtful  of  the  answer 
to  this  question  to  make  me  careful  of  the  money 
I  received,  and  except  the  small  sum  I  had  im 
mediate  use  for,  I  laid  by  the  whole,  determining 
to  practice  the  strictest  economy  and  make  every 
effort  to  get  something  ahead  before  the  note 
should  mature. 

As  for  Deams,  he  left  for  Saratoga  the  day 
after  the  affair,  and  I  did  not  see  him  again  for 
two  or  three  weeks. 

About  this  time  Eli  Nichols  sent  for  me  to 
come  to  his  office,  I  went  accordingly.  He  re 
ceived  me  very  cordially,  and  after  a  few  words 
of  a  general  nature,  desired  me  to  make  certain 
brokers  an  offer  for  some  of  the  bonds  of  the 
Elkton  and  Buffalo  Railroad  Company,  which 
were  then  much  depreciated.  I  saw  in  the  re 
quest  the  repetition  of  the  land-warrant  trick,  and 
quietly  declined  the  business. 

Eli   was   much   chagrined   by   my  refusal.      He 


138  HENBY   POWERS,  BANKEK. 

asked  what  was  the  matter,  "  Did  I  object  to 
earning  a  commission  ?" 

"  Oh  no,"  I  replied. 

"  What  then  ?"  said  Eli.       * 

"  You  have  never  paid  me  for  helping  you  to 
make  fifteen  hundred  dollars  by  the  sale  of  those 
warrants,  and  I  want  you  to  close  that  account 
before  we  open  a  new  one." 

The  old  fellow  flew  in  a  rage.  "Young  man," 
said  he,  "  perhaps  you  desire  to  quarrel  with  me. 
Let  me  tell  you  I  have  driven  more  than  one 
chap  out  of  the  Street  who  undertook  to  run 
against  me.  I  advise  you  to  be  getting  the 
money  together  to  pay  your  note  due  next 
month." 

"Mr.  Nichols,"  I  exclaimed,  rising  as  I  spoke, 
"  I  have  no  desire  to  quarrel  with  you,  but  I  had 
as  lief  do  so  as  not.  As  to  my  note,  if  you  will 
make  it  an  object,  I  will  take  it  up  now.  What 
say  you  ?" 

"Time  enough  when  it  is  due,  youngster,"  re 
torted  the  old  fellow.  "Then  you  will  be  down 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  139 

on  your  marrow-bones  for  an  extension.  Don't 
you  think  you  will  get  it  ?" 

"  Good-day,  Mr.  Nichols,  I  perceive  you  are  a 
little  irritated.  I  will  call  again  some  time.  Per 
haps  we  can  agree  on  a  price  for  the  note,"  and 
I  left,  without  having  my  temper  ruffled  in  the 
slightest. 

This  was  a  real  triumph.  To  show  myself  in 
dependent  of  the  class  to  which  Eli  Nichols  be 
longed  was  a  great  thing.  It  taught  them  I  was 
not  to  become  their  serf  Or  bondman,  and  made 
me  feel  stronger  by  the  lesson. 

I  was  exceedingly  perplexed,  nevertheless, 
what  to  do,  and  I  was  very  glad  I  had  been 
careful  to  save  my  money. 

It  was  now  the  dullest  period  of  the  summer, 
with  really  nothing  doing.  Nearly  every  one  of 
my  acquaintances  was  away,  and  even  Wall 
Street  appeared  deserted.  The  return  of  Deams 
was  to  me  a  welcome  event,  for,  with  all  my 
resolution,  I  began  to  be  very  desponding.  I 
could  see  the  current  of  wealth  sweep  by,  and 


140  HENRY  POWEKS,  BANKEK. 

was  not  able  to  swim  with  it  or  in  it.  I  was 
only  an  idle  spectator,  when  I  felt  that  I  had 
the  capacity  to  take  part  with  the  strongest. 

When  with  Gardner,  Lynde  &  Co.,  I  had  op 
portunities  of  meeting  the  best  business  men  of 
the  city,  and  often  wondered  how  such  and  such 
a  one  had  risen  to  wealth  and  influence  on  what 
seemed  to  me  so  small  a  mental  capital.  I  had 
not  yet  learned  that  it  is  not  apt  to  be  the 
"  smart "  man,  so  called,  who  ultimately  suc 
ceeds,  but  rather  the  careful,  industrious,  per 
sistent  person. 

I  was  chafed  because  there  appeared  to  be  no 
chance  for  getting  a  foot-hold,  and  so  I  told 
Deams  on  our  first  interview  when  he  was  just 
from  the  Springs. 

"  Served  you  right,"  he  exclaimed :  "  no  busi 
ness  to  be  sitting  here  in  the  dumps  when  there 
was  nothing  for  you  to  do.  Knew  it  would  be 
just  so.  You  ought  to  have  come  with  me.  I 
have  had  a  grand  time,  and  am  home  fresh  and 
fine,  and  ready  to  sit  down  with  triple  energy  to 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  141 

the  great  scheme;  for  while  I  have  been  away  I 
have  decided  what  and  when  and  how !  You 
must  take  hold  in  earnest  and  your  fortune  is 
made." 

What   the  "  great   scheme "    was,   I   will    pres 
ently  explain. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

I  DO  not  think,  in  giving  this  literal  history 
of  my  life,  I  should  be  doing  justice  to  that 
which  I  consider  the  mainspring,  did  I  not  speak 
more  particularly  of  it;  since  it  was  now  woven 
into  my  very  being. 

Each  succeeding  day  I  felt  that  this  influence 
grew  stronger  and  stronger.  So  far  from  trying 
to  resist  it,  I  rejoiced  in  it  and  in  the  abnegation 
I  proposed  to  myself  under  it.  I  knew  the  feel 
ing  I  entertained  toward  Mary  Worth  was  in 
every  respect  genuine,  and  honorable  to  my 
nature.  It  helped  me  to  preserve  my  self-respect 
when  I  was  tempted  to  yield  to  the  suggestions 
of  the  moment,  for  I  confess  I  was  sustained  by 
no  deep  well-grounded  principle. 

The  idea  of  what  she  would  think  of  me, 
could  she  know  what  I  was  doing,  saved  me 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  143 

from  lapsing  into  a  state  of  recklessness  or 
indifference,  and  preserved  always  within  me  a 
strong  ultimate  resolution  to  become  worthy  of 
her — that  is,  worthy  of  what  I  conceived  her 
to  be. 

I  say  ultimate  resolution,  because  there  are 
degrees  in  moral  obliquity  as  well  as  in  moral 
excellence. 

Often  when  I  was  engaged  in  something  I 
could  not  justify  to  myself,  I  would  say,  "this  is 
unworthy  of  me."  Yet  I  would  go  on  with  the 
performance. 

This  was  done,  however,  under  a  sort  of  pro 
test  of  my  better  self  against  my  worser  self; 
and  this  is  why  I  use  the  phrase  "ultimate" 
with  reference  to  what  I  was,  and  what  it  seemed 
as  if  I  might  one  day  become. 

In  this  connection  let  me  observe  that  I  de 
termined,  when  the  Worth  family  should  return 
to  town,  that  I  would  claim  no  acquaintance  with 
any  member  of  it  beyond  the  ordinary  saluta 
tion.  They  should  all  understand,  and  especially 


144-  HENRY   POWERS,  BA.NKEK. 

she  should  understand,  I  demanded  nothing  from 
the  accident  of  having  saved  her  life. 

One  day,  it  was  early  in  September,  and  be 
fore  the  Worths  had  returned,  I  met  Mr.  Worth, 
who  usually  came  in  two  or  three  times  a  week, 
face  to  face  on  the  sidewalk. 

He  stopped  me  as  I  was  passing,  and  gave  me 
his  hand  very  cordially.  "I  intended  to  call  on 
you,  Mr.  Powers,  before  this,"  he  said,  "  but  when 
I  am  in  the  city  I  am  usually  much  hurried  till 
I  get  out  of  it.  In  two  or  three  weeks  my  family 
will  be  in  town,  and  I  shall  then  have  a  better 
opportunity  for  seeing  you  and  learning  if  in  any 
way  I  can  be  useful  to  you." 

It  was  delicately  put,  and  in  a  manner  that 
could  not  offend  my  pride ;  but  I  was  resolved 
then  and  there  to  define  my  position  apropos  of 
the  Long  Branch  adventure. 

"  Mr.  Worth,"  I  replied,  "  I  am  greatly  obliged 
to  you  for  your  kindness,  but  you  must  permit 
me  to  say  I  have  no  intention  of  drawing  on  it. 
The  nature  of  the  accident  which  made  us  ac- 


HKNBY   POWERS,  BANKER.  145 

quainted,  precludes  any  possibility  of  my  taking 
advantage  of  it  to  further  my  interests.  I  hope 
Miss  Worth  has  entirely  recovered," 

"  She  is  quite  wellj"  answered  Mr.  Worth,  hur 
riedly,  "  quite  well,  I  am  thankful  to  say. 
Young  man,"  he  continued,  "I  honor  you  ! 
Good  morning." 

"  I  honor  you  !"  The  words  came  spontaneously 
out  of  the  heart  of  the  old  experienced  man  of 
Wall  Street, 

I  repeated  them  several  times  to  myself.  "I 
honor  you :  I  honor  you !"  What  was  the  capital 
of  fifty  thousand  dollars  which  Deams  had  talked 
of  compared  with  the  reward  I  had  just  received  ? 
Would  I  exchange  the  one  for  the  other?  No, 
indeed. 

I  entered  my  office  disgusted  with  its  atmos 
phere  and  every  association  connected  with  it. 

Deams  was  at  his  desk,  in  close  conference  with 
two  or  three  individuals  whose  appearance  I  par 
ticularly  disliked.  He  beckoned  me  to  approach, 

and    I    was    thereupon    introduced    to    Mr.    Philo 

7 


146  HKNKY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

Coldbrook,  Mr.  Elton  Pope,  and  Mr.  Aaron  Mas- 
terman. 

I  give  these  names  in  full  to  my  readers, 
because  Deanis  gave  them  in  full  to  me,  and 
because,  further,  I  have  some  particular  reasons  to 
remember  them. 

"  We  were  waiting  for  you,  Mr.  Powers,"  said 
Deams,  with  a  deferential  air,  which  I  saw  was 
assumed  for  some  object  or  other.  "  These  are 
the  gentlemen  who  control  the  immense  coal-fields 
I  was  speaking  to  you  about  (it  was  the  first  I 
had  heard  of  them),  and  Mr.  Powers,  gentlemen, 
is  the  capitalist  I  told  you  of." 

"Very  happy  to  meet  you,  Mr.  Powers,"  ex 
claimed  Mr.  Aaron  Masterman,  a  portly,  big-bellied 
individual,  with  small,  snuif-colored  eyes,  rubicund 
visage,  and  a  delicate  pug  nose. 

"  Glad  to  meet  you,"  he  continued,  "  and  talk 
over  matters.  We  think  with  your  assistance  we 
can  make  our  affair  a  lively  one ;  if  we  can  coax 
the  market  to  change — eh?"  and  Mr.  Aaron 
Masterman  laughed  a  low,  coarse  laugh,  which 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

added  to  my  disgust,  and  which  caused  Dearns 
to  exhibit  a  frightened  air. 

"Yes,"  said  Mr.  Elton  Pope,  a  small,  thin- 
visaged  fellow,  with  a  yellow  wig,  very  large 
protruding  orbs,  and  an  immense  Roman  nose 
which  occupied  nearly  his  entire  face.  "  Yes, 
and  we  hope  Mr.  Powers  will  regard  our  scheme 
favorably." 

"We  hope  so,"  chimed  in  Mr.  Philo  Cold- 
brook,  a  tall,  spare  fellow,  with  lank  hair  and 
wall  eyes  which  had  a  sneaking  side  sweep— "we 
hope  so." 

There  was  a  pause.  Even  Deams,  who  usually 
was  so  ready,  did  not  appear  to  know  what  to 
say. 

"Let  me  have  a  word  with  you,  Mr.  Deams," 
I  said  at  length,  proceeding  to  the  front  part  of 
the  office. 

Deams  followed  with  alacrity.  Evidently  I 
had  come  in  unexpectedly,  at  least  too  soon,  and 
he  was  as  anxious  to  explain  as  I  was  to  have  an 
explanation 


14:8  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

"  What  does  all  this  mean  ?"  I  asked,  in  a 
tone  of  angry  impatience. 

"Now  keep  cool,  will  you,"  said  Deams,  sooth 
ingly  ;  "  keep  cool,  and  don't  spoil  a  fortune  for 
us  all  by  your  rashness  and  irritability." 

"Whom  do  you  mean  by  <  us  all?'"  I  de 
manded  in  the  same  tone. 

"  Why,  you  and  I,  to  be  sure.  But  for  heav 
en's  sake  don't  act  in  this  manner !  They  are 
watching  us." 

"  Deams,"  said  I,  indignantly,  "  do  you  expect 
me  to  assume  any  role  you  choose  to  invent  for 
me,  without  even  exhibiting  the  decency  of  con 
sulting  me  on  the  subject  ?" 

"  It  is  all  a  mistake,  my  dear  boy,  it  is  all  a 
mistake.  I  did  not  know  my  friends  would  be 
in  to-day,  but  when  they  did  come,  I  could  not 
send  them  off.  I  had  spoken  of  you  very  highly 
financially,  I  admit,  but  in  no  way  which  you 
will  disapprove  of,  I  swear  to  you,  when  I  come 
to  tell  you  all  about  it." 

"  Now  don't  spoil  all,  please  don't,"  he  added 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

beseechingly.  "  In  thirty  days  our  fortune  will 
be  made,  if  you  will  only  hear  to  reason.  This 
evening  you  shall  look  over  the  papers  and  judge 
for  yourself.  Then  accept  or  reject  the  scheme, 
just  as  you  please,  only  don't  be  precipitate." 

"  You  don't  expect  me,  then,  to  give  those 
gentlemen  an  interview  to-day?" 

"  Certainly  not ;  of  course  not ;  indeed,  I  much 
prefer  you  should  not,"  exclaimed  Deams  hur 
riedly.  "I  think  you  had  better  just  leave  us 
now,  and  I  will  explain  to — 

"  Say  what  you  please,  Deams,  for  yourself, 
but  not  a  word  for  me  till  you  have  my  author 
ity  to  do  so." 

"  Quite  right,"  interrupted  Deams,  in  his  turn, 
at  the  same  time  opening  the  door  of  the  office, 
as  if  fearing  the  effect  of  a  longer  discussion ; 
"  quite  right,  I  will  be  with  you  early  this  even 
ing." 

What  Deams  said  to  his  three  "friends,"  I 
leave  the  reader  to  imagine.  I  only  know  at  the 
next  interview — and  there  was  a  next  interview — 


150  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

they  seemed  doubly  impressed  with  my  conse 
quence,  and  the  necessity  of  conciliating  me. 

For  myself,  I  left  the  office  in  no  pleasant 
state  of  mind,  a  state  in  strange  contrast  with 
that  in  which  I  entered  it,  after  my  interview 
with  Mr.  Worth. 

"  How  I  wish  I  had  a  clerkship  in  a  first-class 
mercantile  or  banking  house,"  I  muttered  audibly 
to  myself.  "  I  am  not  made  for  this  kind  of  life, 
and  I  can't  stand  it." 

Just  then,  Mr.  James  Stokes,  a  leading  broker, 
overtook  me.  I  had  but  a  brief  acquaintance 
with  him  ;  but  he  placed  his  arm  in  mine  in  an 
exceeding  friendly  manner. 

"  I  understand  you  will  soon  bring  out  your 
new  company,"  he  said,  in  a  confidential  tone. 
"  I  think  I  may  guess  who  your  bankers  are. 
What  I  would  say  is,  that  our  firm  has  peculiar 
advantages  in  the  management  of  such  a  stock, 
and  if  you  can  arrange  to  give  us  the  control  of 
it,  we  will  make  it  all  you  can  desire." 

What  should  I  reply?    It  was  a  risk  to  speak, 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  151 

to  be  sure;  but  was  I  to  make  myself  ridiculous 
by  appearing  ignorant  of  what  Mr.  Stokes  meant  ? 
Doubtless  this  was  the  affair  Deams  had  begged 
me  to  listen  to,  and  which  the  shrewd  broker  had 
already  got  wind  of. 

Perceiving  that  I  hesitated,  Mr.  Stokes  contin 
ued  :  "  You  must  not  suppose  I  wish  to  commit 
you.  Only  when  you  are  ready,  think  of  what  I 
tell  you,  and  give  me  a  call.  Affairs  have  been 
very  dull,  but  we  shall  have  active  times  this 
fall,  depend  on  it.  Gold  can't  stand  where  it  is. 
I  am  sorry  to  say  so,  very ;  but  I  must  not  act 
against  my  own  convictions.  Good-day." 

"  Gold  can't  stay  where  it  is."  The  observation 
struck  me  with  a  strange  and  almost  unearthly 
significance.  I  knew  Mr.  Stokes  was  one  of  the 
most  loyal  men  in  the  Street,  and  had  invariably 
discouraged  attempts  at  speculation  in  gold.  His 
present  observation  seemed  to  come  from  him 
without  premeditation,  yet  as  the  result  of  an 
opinion  audibly  arrived  at  against  his  will.  As  I 
said,  it  produced  the  strongest  impression  on  me. 


152  HENBY  POWERS,  BANKEB. 

It  went    down   in   my  book  with   an  231P,  which 


should  recall  it  to  my  particular  attention. 

Punctual  to  his  appointment,  Deams  was  at 
my  room  at  seven  o'clock  precisely. 

"  How  lucky  every  thing  seems  to  turn  with 
you,"  was  his  first  salutation.  "I  have  seen  Onis, 
and  he  told  me  Stokes,  Mead  &  Co.  think  veiy 
highly  of  our  scheme,  and  are  ready  to  act  as 
our  brokers.  What  do  you  think  of  that,  you 
unbeliever  ?" 

I  confess  I  was  a  good  deal  mollified  at  this 
remark,  for  I  began  to  think  there  must  be 
something  of  value  after  all  in  an  enterprise 
which  Mr.  Stokes  should  go  out  of  his  way  to 
speak  to  me  about.  I  afterward  learned  the 
secret  of  his  conduct.  I  could  not,  however,  put 
away  from  my  recollection  the  appearance  of  the 
three  gentlemen  whom  I  encountered  at  my  office, 
and  for  whom  I  entertained  such  a  repugnance. 

"  Yes,"  continued  Deams,  "  we  are  at  length 
all  right.  In  fact,  we  are  getting  into  shape 


HENRY  POWEKS,  BANKEK.  153 

much  more  rapidly  than  I  had  myself  calculated 
on.  In  a  few  weeks,  my  boy,  you  may  draw  a 
pretty  large  check  on  your  bank,  say  with  five 
figures,  and  the  only  question  the  teller  will  ask 
is :  '  How  will  you  have  it  ?'  " 

Deams  continued  to  rattle  on  in  this  stra  n, 
without  any  interruption  from  me.  A  very  pleas 
ing  vision  was  flitting  before  my  mind,  produced 
by  a  momentary  indulgence  of  the  fancy. 

"  What  if  all  these  brilliant  predictions  prove 
true?  Who  knows  but  you  will  suddenly  realize 
a  fortune  ?  Did  not  Alfred  Johnson  clear  a 
hundred  thousand  by  bringing  out  the  great 
Nugget  Bullion  Company  ?  Chester  Symonds, 
too: — he  discovered  a  tin  mine  in  New  Hamp 
shire,  and  sold  out  to  Sparks,  Hodge  &  Co.  for 
seventy-five  thousand.  Of  course,  it  is-  not  your 
legitimate  business  man  who  undertakes  these 
things,  but  what  of  that  ?  What  matter  how  the 
money  is  made,  if  honestly  made  ?  and  if  I  do 
make  it !" 

I   held   my  breath   unconsciously.      A   thought 


154  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

of  Mary  Worth  was  natural  in  this  connection. 
Yes,  indeed,  if  I  do  make  it,  I  would  seek  her 
out,  and  the  thought  of  the  adieu  she  waved  to 
me  from  her  window  made  my  heart  beat  audibly. 

"  What  the  deuce  is  the  matter  ?" 

It  was  the  voice  of  Deams  which  recalled  me 
to  myself. 

"I  say,  are  your  wits  wool-gathering?  What 
were  you  thinking  of?"  he  exclaimed. 

"  Of  that  large  check  you  were  speaking 
about,  with  five  figures  in  the  margin." 

"  Good !"  cried  Deams,  "  I  am  glad  you  begin 
to  have  some  appreciation  of  what  I  am  doing  for 
you.  I  shall  expect  an  apology  for  your  savage 
manner  this  morning." 

"  You  shall  have  it,  Deams,  the  moment  my 
check  is  honored;  and  now  let  me  have  the  prom 
ised  explanation.  First,  what  is  your  famous 
scheme,  then  who  are  your  three  *  friends,'  and 
why  did  you  represent  me  as  a  capitalist?  How 
did  Stokes  come  to  know  me  in  the  matter  at 
all  ?" 


POWERS,  BANKER.  155 

"  One  at  a  time,  then,"  said  Deams,  "  and 
first,  can  you  tell  me  the  price  of  coal  ?" 

"  lSTo." 

"  I  suppose  not ;  but  I  can  tell  you  it  is 
nearly  fifty  per  cent,  higher  than  it  has  ever 
been  before,  with  a  prospect  of  a  rising  mar 
ket." 

"  What  of  it  ?  Neither  you  nor  I  are  at 
housekeeping,  and  we  do  not  intend  to  be  for 
the  present,  I  fancy." 

"Look  at  that,"  cried  Deams,  with  an  air  of 
triumph, — "  see  that." 

He  unrolled  a  large  lithograph  sheet,  covered 
with  many  colored  lines  and  sections.  On  one 
corner  I  read — 

"  Map  of  coal  lands  belonging  to  Grover  P. 
Wilcox,  Esq.,  situated  in  Shawnee  County r,  Penn 
sylvania,  consisting  of  thirteen  thousand  seven 
hundred  acres" 

"  Well  ?" 

"  Well,"  echoed  Deams,  "  \rou  have  got  con 
trol  of  that  magnificent  tract.  I  have  arranged 


156  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

all  the  details  for  the  largest  and  most  success 
ful  coal  company  ever  originated  in  this  city." 

"Superior  to  Parker  Vein?"    I  inquired  dryly. 

"Have  done  with  your  jesting,"  said  Deams. 
"This  is  the  real  thing.  Property  unsurpassed. 
Veins  fourteen  feet  in  width,  and  inexhaus 
tible.  Transportation,  Shawnee  Railroad  to  pass 
right  through  it.  Price,  only  a  million  and 
a  half  of  dollars.  Three  hundred  thousand  cash, 
balance  in  stock  of  the  company  at  par.  Easy 
terms  of  payment." 

"And  the  three  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
cash  payment? — " 

"  Runs  over  a  space  of  five  years — only  sixty 
thousand  per  annum." 

"But,  the  first  sixty  thousand?" 

"We  shall  go  to  the  public  for  that,"  said 
Deams.  "  Meantime,  you  are  the  capitalist.  Do 
you  take?" 

"No,  I  don't." 

"Well,  I  did  not  suppose  you  would  with 
out  further  explanation,  and  to  do  that  I  must 


HENKY   POWERS,  BANKER.  157 

show  you  the  prospectus  as  soon  as  I  have  pre 
pared  it.  To-morrow  I  shall  fill  up  the  list  of 
the  Trustees  of  the  new  company,  and  I  will 
then  open  the  whole  budget.  In  a  word,  how 
ever,  we  have  secured  this  property.  A  number 
of  '  good '  men  are  ready  to  take  it  up. 

"You  know,"  he  continued,  "there  must 
always  be  some  one  to  stand  between  the  seller 
and  the  company,  else  there  could  be  no  '  ground 
floor.'1  I  have  put  you  into  that  position,  where 
I  rather  think  you  can  take  care  of  our  inter 
ests.  Now  you  see  the  value  of  a  name  free 
and  clear.  If  you  had  any  thing  against  you,  it 
wouldn't  do,  you  know,  to  hold  the  title." 

I  did  see. 

"  Now,  all  I  ask  is,"  continued  Dearns,  "  that 
you  say  nothing  which  shall  commit  yourself 
till  I  have  the  papers  ready  to  submit  to  you." 

"But  those  disgusting  wretches " 

"You  mistake  them,  Powers.  They  are  the 
gentlemen  who  introduced  me  to  the  property — 
acquaintances  of  Mr.  Wilcox,  the  proprietor." 


158  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

"  Who  help  make  the  c  UNDERGROUND  '  below 
the  '  ground  floor ' — eh !  '  a  lower  deep  below  the 
lowest  deep,'  I  suppose?" 

Deams  turned  very  red  in  the  face. 

"  You  do  not  think "  he  began. 

"Oh,  no,  I  don't  think  any  thing,  Deams, 
only  this:  if  you  have  a  fair  case  for  a  proper 
speculation,  and  want  nothing  improper  of  me, 
why,  I  will  go  into  it — that's  all." 

"Now,  you  talk  like  a  rational  man,"  said 
Deams. 

"That's  a  little  doubtful,"  I  responded,  "only 
don't  attempt  to  humbug  me." 

"7"  attempt  it,"  and  Mr.  Horace  Deams  as 
sumed  an  air  of  desperate  astonishment. 

"  One  word  more,"  I  said.  "  That  five  hun 
dred  and  fifty  dollar  note  is  due  next  week. 
Shall  you  be  ready  with  your  portion  of  the 
money  ?" 

"Don't  be  in  the  least  alarmed.  I  have 
already  spoken  to  Mr.  Masterman  and  told  him 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  159 

I  should  want  a  few  hundred  dollars,  and  he 
has  promised  I  should  have  all  I  required." 

"I  am  glad  of  it.  You  will  not,  on  any 
account,  disappoint  me  ?" 

"You  may  rely  on  me,  positively,"  said 
Deams. 

And  thus  the  conference  ended. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

THE  Worth  family  returned  to  town  earlier 
than  I  anticipated. 

On  entering  church  the  following  Sabbath — I 
well  recollect  it  was  the  third  Sunday  in  Sep 
tember — I  felt  by  a  species  of  magnetism,  elec 
tric  affinity,  odic  force,  call  it  what  you  will, 
that  Mary  Worth  was  in  the  house. 

This  was  before  I  had  looked  toward  the 
pew.  My  heart  beat  loudly.  I  hardly  dared 
raise  my  eyes.  At  length  I  did  raise  them, 
and  glanced  in  the  direction  of  her  seat. 

She  was  there.  I  could  not  see  her  face, 
only  the  side  of  the  hat  which  concealed  it. 

On  the  instant  a  delicious  sense  of  repose 
stole  over  me ;  a  feeling  that  whatever  should 
come,  or  happen,  all  was  right. 

On    my   word,   at    that    time    I   had   no    wish 


HENRY   POWEES,  BANKER.  161 

or  desire  for  any  further  acquaintance.  I  did 
not  care  even  to  speak  to  Mary  Worth.  To 
know  that  every  week  we  should  be  seated  near 
each  other,  under  the  same  roof,  was  happiness 
enough. 

Reader,  this  sounds  desperately  romantic  and 
sentimental,  does  it  not  ?  Perhaps  you  think 
that  my  Wall  Street  delineations  are  to  turn 
out  mere  lackadaisical  vapors  of  the  Pamela 
school. 

I  can  not  help  it.  I  only  say  in  reply  that 
the  person  is,  indeed,  God  forsaken  who  has  lost 
his  romance,  and  I,  Henry  Powers,  declare  to 
you  I  have  not  lost  mine,  and  do  not  intend 
to  lose  it  either. 

Therefore,  I  repeat  that  what  I  say  of  my 
feelings  for  Mary  Worth  is  true.  I  did  feel 
just  as  I  say  I  did,  and  I  am  not  ashamed  to 
own  it. 

Well,  how  is  it  with  yourself,  great  Operator, 
or  petty  Schemer ;  millionaire,  or  poor  devil ; 
Wielder  of  immense  power  in  finance,  or  des- 


162  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

perate  Shinner  around  the  curb-stones  from  ten 
to  three? 

Tell  me,  each  one  of  you,  is  there  not  some 
thing  that  breeds  around  your  heart,  and  keeps 
you  within  the  pale  of  humanizing  emotions? 
A  wife  whom  you  love;  a  young  girl  to  whom 
faith  and  truth  are  plighted;  a  mother  or  sister 
dependent  on  you;  in  short,  something,  or  some 
body,  which  touches  your  affections? 

Man  of  money !  you  don't  acknowledge  this 
as  you  drive  a  hard  bargain,  or  employ  the 
power  of  your  wealth  to  force  a  contract  ? 

Poor  devil!  you  confess  to  no  such  weak 
ness,  while  you  practice  a  miserable  deception 
to  raise  the  needful  X,  which  must,  in  some 
way,  be  laid  hold  of.  No,  neither  of  you  admit 
it  while  in  the  "Street,"  but  you  dare  not  deny 
it  as  you  go  homeward  in  the  afternoon.  There 
fore  you  need  not  stop  in  the  reading  of  my 
narrative,  and  affect  to  be  disgusted  at  my  sen 
timentality. 

The     services    were     over.       As     the     crowd 


HKNBY  POWERS,  BANKER.  163 

swept  into  the  center  aisle  I  was  brought  close 
upon  Mr.  Worth,  who  bowed  to  me  as  usual. 

I  have  omitted  to  state  that  after  my  inter 
view  with  him  in  Wall  Street,  described  in  the 
last  chapter,  he  never  stopped  me  to  shake 
hands,  but  was  particular,  however,  always  to 
bow  after  a  peculiar  manner — as  one  bows  to  an 
equal  with  whom  one  is  well  acquainted,  but 
not  on  intimate  terms.  I  enjoyed  and  felt 
flattered  by  this  delicate  mark  of  appreciation. 
"That  man  understands  me,  and  wishes  to  let 
me  know  it,"  I^said  to  myself. 

So  then,  coming  out  of  church,  Mr.  Worth 
turned  and  bowed  after  the  style  I  have  men 
tioned.  Mrs.  Worth  walked  a  little  in  advance; 
she,  too,  took  evident  pains  to  salute  me,  and 
in  a  way  that  satisfied  me  her  husband  lad 
given  her  an  account  of  our  late  interview. 

Mary  Worth  was  still  further  on.  She  did 
not  turn  her  head,  and  I  got  no  glimpse  of  her 
face.  But  on  going  out  I  saw  her  standing 
in  the  vestibule,  as  if  waiting  my  approach. 


164  HENKY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

She  did  not  stop  for  me  to  put  in  practice 
my  plan  of  demeanor  toward  the  Worth  family, 
but,  extending  her  hand,  she  exclaimed:  "I  am 
glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Powers,  and  to  see  you 
looking  well.  I  do  not  think  you  had  fully 
recovered  when  you  left  Long  Branch,  and  I 
was  very  anxious  about  you,  till  papa  met  you, 
and  told  me  you  were  really  quite  well  again." 

These  words  were  spoken  with  such  genuine 
earnestness  that  I  was  in  great  danger  of  break 
ing  over  the  rule  I  had  laid  down  for  myself. 

I  stood  looking  straight  into  her  eyes,  and 
saying  not  a  word.  There  was  nothing  in  their 
expression  which  denoted  anything  beyond  the 
natural  and  proper  interest  in  one  who  had  saved 
her  life  at  the  risk  of  his  own — 

"  Only  this,  and  nothing  more." 

Her  manner  was  neither  confused  nor  timid 
— perhaps  I  should  have  been  better  satisfied 
had  it  been  so — but  frank  and  unhesitating. 

All   this    flashed    through    my  mind,   in    time 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  165 

for  me  to  recover,  and  reply  in  the  same  out 
spoken,  open  manner.  I  said,  "I  was  certainly 
entirely  well  again,  and  I  hoped  she  was  well, 
and  was  pleased  to  hear  so  through  her  father" 
— that  was  all. 

During  this  scene,  Mr.  Worth  and  his  wife 
stood  near  with  complacent  countenances,  exhibit 
ing  no  sign  of  impatience  or  of  distrust. 

Our  little  chat  at  an  end,  Mary  Worth  joined 
her  parents  and  all  walked  away. 

I  noticed  two  or  three  young  men  eyeing 
me  with  a  jealous  air,  and  one  or  two  young 
ladies  turned  quite  round  to  take  a  look  at  me. 
I  cared  little  for  either.  I  felt  sad,  I  hardly 
knew  why.  From  that  day  I  was  to  avoid 
further  intercourse  with  Miss  Worth — such  was 
iny  determination — except  the  ordinary  saluta 
tions  of  courtesy. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

THE  next  morning  on  going  to  my  office,  I 
found  on  my  table  a  small  paper  slip  which 
read  as  follows: 

BANKING  HOUSE    OF    ELI   NICHOLS. 
HENRY  POWERS, 

Your  note  for  $550   is   due  25th  September. 

The  sight  of  this  little  printed  reminder  sent 
a  cold  shiver  through  me. 

I  was  perfectly  aware  that  my  note  fell  due 
on  that  day,  and  was  in  Eli  Nichols'  hands : 
indeed,  as  the  reader  knows,  I  had  already  stir 
red  Deams  on  the  subject,  and  was  doing  every 
thing  possible  to  scrape  some  money  together 
myself. 

Here,    however,    was    something     provokingly 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKEK.  167 

tangible.  It  might  be  paraphrased  in  this  way : 
"  Remember,  Henry  Powers,  that  you  have  a  note 
of  five  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  to  pay  to 
Eli  Nichols  on  Saturday  of  this  week  1" 

There  was  no  mistaking  it.  It  must  be  paid. 
After  what  had  passed  between  me  and  old  Eli, 
I  think  I  would  have  submitted  to  any  thing 
rather  than  fail  to  pay  that  note. 

Why  had  I  not  followed  the  hint  in  my 
memorandum  book,  and  been  careful  to  keep  my 
name  "  free  and  clear  ?" 

I  could  have  borrowed  easily  the  few  dollars 
I  required,  and  now,  as  I  begun  to  realize,  I 
must  provide  for  the  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  which  Deams  had  undertaken  to  respond  to. 

In  the  midst  of  my  cogitations  that  estimable 
gentleman  entered  the  office. 

I  handed  him  the  little  "notice." 

"Well,"  said  Deams  in  an  indifferent  tone, 
"No*  fresh  information  here,  I  imagine.  As  the 
man  in  the  play  says :  '  We  knew  it  be 
fore.'  " 


168  HENKY  POWKKS,  BANKER. 

"  Certainly,  but  are  you  quite  sure  you  will 
be  ready  on  your  part  ?  Had  you  not  better 
see  your  friend  Masterman  to-day  about  the 
money  ?" 

"  And  provide  Monday  for  Saturday  1"  retorted 
Deams.  "  Now  I  call  that  queer  enough.  I 
tell  you,  Masterman  has  promised  me  the  money; 
I  have  informed  him  I  should  want  it  this 
week,  and  he  would  think  it  very  odd  for  me 
to  speak  about  it  again.7' 

44  On  the  contrary,  I  should  consider  it  very 
natural  for  you  to  tell  him  to-day  that  you  are 
obliged  to  use  the  money  Saturday ;  and  then 
you  have  settled  on  a  definite  tune,  and  he  will 
have  no  excuse  for  disappointing  you." 

"Don't  you  know,  my  dear  Powers,"  said 
Deams  in  an  easy  tone,  "that  every  man  has  his 
own  way  in  arranging  these  matters  ?  You  have 
your  method;  I  have  mine;  and  I  don't  think 
it  of  any  advantage  for  either  of  us  to  lecture 
the  other  about  how  to  manage  with  his  friends." 

Here  the  conversation  dropped. 


HENBY  POWERS,  BANKER.  169 

I  confess  I  began  to  have  but  small  hope 
that  Dearns  could  raise  his  share  of  the  cash, 
notwithstanding  the  confidence  he  professed  to 
place  in  the  ability  and  good-will  of  Mr.  Aaron 
Masterniaii. 

I  felt  instinctively  the  absolute  necessity  of 
raising  the  amount  myself;  for  the  note  once 
protested,  I  was  satisfied  that  Eli  Nichols,  whom 
I  had  greatly  incensed,  would  do  all  in  his 
power  to  harrass  me,  and  could  at  least  greatly 
injure  my  credit  in  the  Street. 

"It  is  paying  pretty  dear  for  my  first  lesson," 
I  said  to  myself;  "but  after  all  the  loss  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  shall  never  ruin 
Henry  Powers  :  no,  indeed  !" 

I  had  already  made  good  my  three  hundred 
from  some  commissions  on  two  or  three  notes 
which  I  had  sold,  for  I  found  I  should  very 
likely  have  to  starve  while  waiting  on  the  im 
mense  fortune  to  be  realized  from  the  Coal 
Company,  if  I  did  not  condescend  to  turn  an 

honest  penny  in  an  honest  though  small  way. 

8 


170  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

Deams,  it  is  true,  manifested  a  good  deal  of 
disgust  at  seeing  me  "trotting  about,"  as  he 
termed  it,  "  chasing  eighteen  pence  around  the 
corner."  I  am  happy  to  say  his  remonstrances 
had  no  effect  on  me;  though  the  business  of 
running  from  place  to  place,  occupying  a  whole 
day,  perhaps  two  days,  in  attempting  to  carve 
a  trifling  commission  out  of  a  piece  of  paper, 
while  the  seller  insists  on  receiving  so  much, 
and  the  buyer  will  only  give  so  much,  is  a 
very  disgusting  one. 

I  am  sorry  to  record  the  fact  that  some  of 
the  larger  brokers,  when  they  see  a  respectable 
piece  of  paper,  practice,  for  certain  reasons,  the 
habit  of  encouraging  a  belief  that  it  can  be  dis 
posed  of  at  a  much  more  favorable  rate  than  the 
facts  subsequently  justify. 

I  remember  that  very  day,  there  was  a  note 
for  seventeen  hundred  and  odd  dollars,  about  four 
months  to  run,  placed  in  my  hands,  made  by  a 
commercial  house  in  good  standing.  Indeed,  I 
will  tell  you,  in  confidence,  the  name  of  the 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  171 

house.  It  was  that  of  Malcolm,  Edgerton  &  Co., 
in  South  Street.  The  man  who  gave  it  to  me, 
said,  rather  significantly,  "  The  firm  keeps  their 
account  in  the  Bank  of  Mutual  Safety — you  un 
derstand." 

I  did  not,  at  the  moment,  understand,  but 
shortly  it  occurred  to  me  that  the  note  was 
handed  to  me  to  negotiate  from  my  supposed 
intimacy  with  Mr.  Marmaduke  Worth,  the  presi 
dent. 

"What  are  the  terms?"  I  asked. 

"  Well,"  said  my  visitor,  "  no  better  note  is 
made  in  New  York:  that  you  know.  You  know 
too,  of  course,  as  well  as  I,  that  at  certain  seasons 
this  house  puts  out  an  immense  quantity  of  paper, 
and  then  their  notes  stand  a  heavy  shave, — have 
known  it  as  high  as  two  per  cent,  a  month. 
But,  without  any  chaffing,  I  can  say  you  may 
take  this  and  return  the  amount  to  me,  less  one 
and  a  half  net,  and  make  as  much  as  you  can 
out  of  it  ?" 

I  had   no   opportunity  to   reply,  and  probably 


172  HENRY  POWEKS,  BANKER. 

should  have  made  none  under  any  circumstances. 
I  took  the  note,  which  was  really  all  that  the 
man  had  claimed  for  it,  and  proceeded  to  the 
well-known  shop — I  say  "  shop,"  for  I  consider 
that  the  proper  name  for  it — of  Peter  T.  Strain, 
which  was  not  far  from  my  own  office.  The 
principal  himself  happened  to  be  in.  I  showed 
him  the  note. 

"Ah,  yes  (in  the  blandest  tones),  about  ten 
to  twelve  per  cent.,  I  suppose ;  yes,  ten  to 
twelve — twelve,  as  outside  that  will  probably  be 
the  rate — -prime  note ;  still,  you  know,  their  paper 
rubs  a  little  just  at  present.  Step  in,  and  let  the 
book-keeper  enter  it." 

Accordingly,  I  walked  in,  deposited  the  note, 
and  left  my  name  and  address. 

"When  shall  I  call?" 

"  Some  time  in  the  course  of  the  afternoon ; 
or  say  to-morrow  morning;  my  best  customer 
who  is  in  the  habit  of  buying  this  paper  has 
already  been  here,  but  I  expect  he  will  return 
again  to-day." 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKEK.  173 

I  left  the  place  thinking  I  should  make  a  very 
good  thing  of  the  note  of  Malcolm,  Edgerton  & 
Co.  I  found  my  man  waiting  for  me  on  going 
back  to  my  office. 

"  Was  he  in  ?  did  you  fix  it  ?"  he  inquired, 
eagerly. 

I  was  a  little  nettled.  I  did  not  relish  being 
followed  up  so  closely. . 

"I  can  do  nothing  to-day,"  I  said;  "I  hope 
to  close  it  to-morrow." 

"  All  right,"  was  the  response,  "  only  my 
people  want  money  badly.  I  will  look  in 
to-morrow." 

I  called  pretty  early  the  next  day  on  Mr. 
Strain. 

"  Oh,  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you, — was  going 
to  send  in  to  your  place.  The  gentleman  who  is 
in  the  habit  of  taking  the  Malcolm  paper  does 
not  care  to  buy  any  more  at  present — thinks  he 
has  enough  invested  there.  But  understand  me, 
there  is  no  difficulty  in  selling  the  paper,  none 
whatever,  only  we  must  submit  to  a  little  stiifer 


174  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

rate;  that  is  what  I  wish  to  see  you  about. 
Shall  we  say  twelve  to  fifteen,  with  fifteen  as  a 
limit  ?" 

As  "  fifteen "  was  but  one  and  a  quarter 
per  cent,  a  month,  an«l  I  was  to  get  "eighteen," 
or  one  and  a  half  per  cent.,  I  said  "yes"  to  Mr. 
Strain's  suggestion,  and  begged  him  thereupon  to 
expedite  the  affair. 

"  Certainly,  certainly ;  call  to-morrow,  and  I 
hope  to  have  a  check  for  you  ?" 

Here  was  "to-morrow"  again,  but  I  submitted, 
and  put  my  constituent  off  the  best  way  I  could 
for  another  day. 

He  was  not  quite  content,  but  I  gave  him  a 
strong  assurance,  and  he  departed. 

My  own  profits  were  melting  away,  but  I 
was  now  ambitious  to  carry  the  business  through, 
and  so  I  rendered  myself  in  very  good  season 
next  morning  at  the  "  shop." 

Once  more  I  was  met  by  the  bland  and  cour 
teous  Mr.  Strain,  and  once  more  told  that  "  fif 
teen"  would  not  quite  do,  but  he  thought,  in- 


HENRY   POWERS,  BA.XKER.  175 

deed  he  believed  he  could  say  almost  positive 
ly,  that  the  offer  of  eighteen  would  bring  the 
money. 

"  I  will  advise  you  confidentially,"  he  con 
tinued,  "  to  accept  the  offer,  for  I  am  told  there 
will  be  another  large  amount  on  the  market  by 
Saturday." 

I  was  thoroughly  indignant,  but  restrained  my 
wrath.  "  Mr.  Strain,  if  you  can  discount  the  note 
at  one  and  a  half  to-day,  I  will  take  it.  If  you 
are  not  sure  of  doing  this  before  three,  let  me 
have  the  note  now." 

"  My  dear  sir,"  said  Mr.  Strain,  mildly,  "  I  do 
say  I  feel  confident  of  the  offer,  and  for  to-day — 
you  know  I  never  buy  notes  myself;  all  on  com 
mission — all  on  commission;  but  call  at  two  and 
the  money  will  be  ready,  I  am  entirely  confi 
dent." 

I  quitted  the  place  with  the  determination  of 
not  returning  to  my  own  office  till  I  had  visited 
Mr.  Strain  at  two,  for  I  had  no  disposition  to 
enter  on  a  further  explanation  with  the  anxious 


176  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

gentleman,  who,  I  knew,  was  waiting  for  the 
money. 

In  this  way  I  threw  away  the  entire  morning. 
"  Never  mind,"  I  said :  "  It  is  true,  I  have  lost 
a  good  deal  of  time  and  made  nothing,  but  I 
shall  have  carried  my  point,  and  perhaps  secured 
a  customer/* 

At  two  o'clock  I  called  on  Mr.  Strain,  and 
received  a  check  for  the  net  proceeds  of  Messrs. 
Malcolm,  Edgerton  &  Co.'s  note.  It  was  ready 
drawn,  waiting  my  arrival.  I  expressed  myself 
satisfied,  and  was  turning  to  leave,  when  the  book 
keeper  gave  me  a  small  strip  with  a  memorandum 
as  follows: 

"Dis.  Malcolm,  E.  &  Co.,  $1,734  20 
Corns.     1-4,     $4  34." 

"Excuse  me,"  I  said,  hurriedly.  I  handed  out 
five  dollars,  received  sixty-six  cents  in  change, 
and  came  away  "  silently,"  like  the  Arabs. 

The  joke  was  too  good,  so  I  only  laughed  at 
myself  for  being  minus  four  dollars  and  thirty- 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  177 

four  cents,  besides  about  two  days'  gratuitous 
labor. 

I  had  the  discretion  to  deposit  the  money  in 
the  bank  where  I  kept  my  account,  and  draw  my 
own  check  for  it;  this  done,  I  stepped  quickly  to 
my  office,  handed  the  check  to  my  customer,  who 
had  been  waiting  since  twelve  o'clock,  and  was 
getting  very  red  in  the  face.  I  apologized  briefly 
for  the  delay,  but  in  the  tone  of  a  man  who 
feels  himself  to  be  strong. 

The  effect  was  evident. 

"To-day  is  just  as  well,  just  as  well,  exactly," 
said  he,  "  though  we  could  not  have  got  along 
very  well  over  to-day,  I  admit.  It  takes  a  little 
time,  I  know,  to  turn  to  advantage.  You  have 
made  a  good  thing  out  of  it,  that  is,  in  a  small 
way.  There  is  some  difference  between  seven  per 
cent,  and  eighteen." 

"  I  am  content,"  said  I,  with  a  peculiar  em 
phasis,  which  I  will  be  bound  my  man  did  not 
understand,  but  which  I  felt. 

Thereupon  he  took  his  leave. 

8* 


178  HENET   POWEKS,  BANKER. 

Perhaps  you  would  like  to  know  why  I  mani 
fest  so  much  indignation  at  the  conduct  of  Mr. 
Peter  T.  Strain.  Was  he  not  very  frank  in  all 
his  explanations?  Did  he  not  account  satisfacto 
rily  for  the  delays,  and,  finally,  did  he  not 
promptly  give  the  money  at  the  very  moment 
promised ;  indeed,  when  he  had  not  quite  abso 
lutely  promised  ? 

A  word  in  your  ear.  Do  not  let  this  bo 
repeated,  for  Mr.  Peter  T.  Strain's  establishment 
is  highly  respectable,  and  he  himself  a  very  cred 
itable  member  of  the  community.  From  des 
perate  insolvency  he  has  risen  to  great  wealth. 
He  has  a  handsome  house  in  town,  and  a  beau 
tiful  country-seat  in  Westchester  County,  and  all 
from  this  one-quarter  of  one  per  cent,  commission 
on  the  notes  which  pass  through  his  hands.  So 
he  would  have  you  suppose. 

After  this,  will  you  believe  me  when  I  tell 
you  that  Peter  T.  Strain  never  offered  the  note 
of  Malcolm,  Edgerton  &  Co.  for  sale  at  all  dur 
ing  the  three  days  he  was  finessing  with  me ; 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  179 

never  offered  it  at  all  until  after  he  had  given 
me  a  check  for  the  amount  agreed  on?  Then  he 
doubtless  placed  it  at  about  ten  per  cent,  per 
annum  with  some  customer  who  relied  on  his 
judgment. 

It  was  nothing  very  bad,  you  know.  Peter 
T.  Strain  was  too  respectable  to  cheat  me— much. 
Besides,  he  only  deals  in  first  or  second  class 
paper,  and  never  descends  to  vulgar  shaves. 
Peter  T.  Strain  is  not  a  bad  man  —  out  of  the 
Street.  Pie  is  a  "  good  husband  and  a  kind 
father,"  and  a  "  very  liberal  person." 

In  his  "shop"  he  is  a  knave,  and  nothing 
else.  Why  ? 

This  was  Thursday,  and  quite  the  close  of  the 
day.  Deams  had  not  spoken  to  me  about  the 
note  since  our  Monday's  conversation.  He  ap 
peared  very  busy,  however,  with  his  "  prospec 
tus."  His  "three  friends" — Mr.  Aaron  Mastcr- 
man,  Mr.  Elton  Pop 3,  and  Mr.  Philo  Coldbrook 
— came  in  to  see  him  on  two  several  occasions. 


180  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

On  Friday  I  ventured  to  speak  to  Deams 
again.  Had  he  asked  Mr.  Masterman  for  the 
money?  and  if  not,  I  begged  he  would  do  so 
at  once,  that  I  might  be  relieved  from  apprehen 
sion. 

Deams  changed  countenance  slightly.  "It's  a 
deuced  pity,  Powers,  that  we  can't  manage  to 
throw  the  thing  over  for  another  week." 

"For  what  reason?" 

"  Why,  I  am  just  at  a  point  with  Masterman 
which  makes  it  a  little  awkward,  you  see,  to  ask 
him  to  lend  me.  Don't  you  perceive?" 

"I  can't  say  I  do.  On  the  contrary,  you  told 
me  you  had  actually  engaged  the  money  from 
him  for  this  week.  He  has  already  promised 
you  the  amount,  has  he  not?" 

"Well,  yes,  indirectly." 

"  What  makes  you  say  '  indirectly,'  Deams, 
when  you  told  me  decidedly  that  he  promised  to 
let  you  have  the  money?"  I  exclaimed  in  an  irri 
tated  tone. 

"Xow,  if  you  insist  on  it,  Powers,  I  will  bor- 


HENRY  POWERS,    BANKER.  181 

row  it,  but  I  beg  you  to  hold  off  if  possible  for 
just  one  week  more." 

"7"  hold  off!  I  should  rather  think  Eli  Nich 
ols  is  the  man  to  be  consulted  on  that  head." 

"Just  the  thing,"  said  Deams,  "I  can  renew 
it  with  him  for  fifteen  days  easy  enough,  and 
then  we  shall  be  out  of  the  woods." 

"  Not  with  my  consent." 

"  Pshaw !  don't  talk  nonsense  !  Just  pay  what 
you  have  on  hand,  and,  by  George,  we  can  renew 
like  a  knife  for  two  hundred  and  fifty." 

"  What  has  become  of  your  tender  regard  for 
my  credit  r"  I  said,  with  a  sneer. 

"  Please  don't  talk  in  that  way,  when  you 
know  I  am  bending  every  effort  to  securing  a 
fortune  for  us  both.  You  know,  Mr.  Powers,  I 
have  thought  of  nothing  else  all  summer.  For 
heaven's  sake,  don't  ask  me  to  injure  myself  with 
our  new  friends." 

"  How  much  can  you  tlo  toward  your  part  ?" 
I  asked,  calmly. 

"Well,  you  see,  Powers,  my  expenses  have  been 


182  HENRY   POWERS,   BANKER. 

rather  large  lately.  I  have  had  to  entertain  these 
gentlemen  on  several  occasions,  for  we  must  keep 
up  appearances,  you  know." 

"Which  means  you  do  not  intend  to  help  me 
with  a  dollar." 

"  It  means  that,  literally,  I  can  not,"  said 
Deams,  in  a  deprecatory  tone. 

I  had  recovered  my  temper.  Really,  I  was 
not  much  disappointed,  and  it  was  useless  to 
exhibit  any  idle  ebullition. 

"  Had  you  told  me  this,  Deams,"  I  said  quietly, 
"  at  first,  instead  of  - 

"  Don't  reproach  me :  I  feel  worse  about  it 
than  you  do,  and  will  get  the  note  renewed  if 
you  will  let  me,  or  do  anything  you  tell  me  to. 
In  fact,"  continued  Deams,  starting  from  his  seat, 
"  you  need  not  pay  it  at  all  if  you  say  so,  it  was 
a  cursed  cut-throat  usurious  transaction,  and  the 
old  screw  can't  recover  a  dollar.  Let  him  sue 
and  be " 

"  We  will  say  no  more  about  it,  Deams ;"  and 
I  left  the  office,  very  much  to  his  relief,  I  fancy. 


HENRY   POWERS,   BANKER.  183 

I  felt  myself  in  a  bad  way,  as  I  walked  down 
the  street.  "  What  are  my  prospects  ?  Let  me 
look  them  in  the  face.  At  five  and  twenty,  with 
good  health,  a  good  education,  a  thorough  knowl 
edge  of  commercial  business,  and  an  untiring  en 
ergy,  I  bid  fair  to  settle  down  into  a  petty  note 
broker,  or  what  is  worse,  a  schemer  in  bubble 
companies." 

I  believe  I  have  not  mentioned  a  Mr.  Holman, 
who  was  a  junior  partner  in  the  house  of  Gard 
ner,  Lynde  &  Co.  when  I  was  with  that  firm.  He 
was  but  five  or  six  years  older  than  I,  and  was 
an  agreeable,  companionable  man.  While  Mr. 
Gardner  was  in  Europe  making  an  effort  to  settle 
with  the  creditors  of  the  concern,  Mr.  Holman 
had  engaged  in  some  Government  contract,  in 
which,  being  an  incorruptibly  honest  man,  it  was 
quite  impossible  for  him  to  make  any  thing  be 
yond  a  respectable  living. 

His  wife  had  a  snug  little  sum  in  her  own 
right,  and  so  he  was  altogether  in  very  comfort 
able  circumstances. 


184      HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

I  resolved  to  call  and  see  him,  and  ask  him 
to  lend  me  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 
He  was  still  a  young  man,  and  I  did  not  doubt 
his  entire  sympathy  with  me. 

I  found  him  at  his  place  of  business,  and  alone. 
Without  delay  or  circumlocution  I  explained  how 
I  had  been  caught,  and  asked  him  to  help  me  to 
the  required  sum. 

"  I  have  not  got  the  amount  in  hand,"  he  said, 
"but  I  can  borrow  it.  I  perceive  of  how  much 
importance  it  is  to  you,  and  I  will  see  that  you 
have  the  money,"  he  said  promptly. 

What  different  types  of  men  we  encounter ! 
Look  at  Eli  Nichols:  look  at  Deams:  look  at 
Mr.  Holman.  Why  can't  all  the  world  be  honest 
and  kind  and  good  ?  and  what  are  those  other  crea 
tures  made  for  ? 

Such  was  my  soliloquy  as  I  left  Mr.  Holman's 
place,  after  receiving  a  cordial  invitation  from  him 
to  call  and  talk  over  affairs,  the  state  of  the  coun 
try,  and  so  forth. 

The   next   day,  before   twelve  o'clock,  Mr.  Hoi- 


HENEY  POWERS,  BANKER.  185 

man  sent  me  a  check  for  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars. 

I  said  nothing  about  it  to  Deams,  nor  he  to 
me.  Indeed,  I  doubt  very  much  if  he  gave  the 
matter  a  thought  after  he  had  fairly  saddled  it 
on  me. 

I  at  once  had  my  own  check  certified  for  the 
amount  of  my  note,  five  hundred  and  fifty  dollars, 
and  as  Deams  had  made  it  payable  at  my  office, 
I  sat  and  quietly  waited  for  it  to  be  sent  in. 

About  half-past  two  who  should  enter  but  old 
Eli  himself!  It  was  quite  out  of  the  business 
course,  as  it  was  the  duty  of  a  clerk  to  present 
the  note.  Doubtless  the  old  fellow  wished  to  wit 
ness  my  mortification,  if  not  able  to  pay.  I  after 
ward  learned  that  he  had  previously  sent  and  as 
certained  I  was  in. 

The  old  fellow  advanced  stoutly  to  the  desk 
where  I  was  sitting  and  placed  the  note  before 
my  eyes.  I  took  the  certified  check  from  the 
drawer  and  placed  it  quietly  before  his  eyes. 

Eli    looked     chopfallen.       He    picked     up    the 


186  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKEK. 

check,  turned  and  left  the  room  without  a  word 
being  spoken  on  either  side. 

I  counted  the  man  my  enemy  after  this ;  but 
I  was  mistaken.  He  had  not  the  capacity  to  be 
a  friend  of  anybody,  but  he  rather  admired  the 
way  I  treated  him — payment  of  the  note  included 
— and  I  frequently  heard  of  his  passing  encomiums 
on  me  in  his  rough,  vulgar  way,  such  as  that  I 
would  "  do :"  the  man  who  would  get  ahead  of 
me  "must  get  up  early,"  and  the  like. 

All  this  because  I  had  refused  to  be  made 
his  tool,  and  had  been  prompt  in  meeting  my  ob 
ligations. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

I  AM  about  to  give  you  another  phase  of  my 
Wall  Street  experience.  Thus  far,  reader,  you 
must  have  felt  dissatisfied,  if  not  disgusted,  with 
the  petty  scope  of  my  proceedings. 

You  have  looked,  doubtless,  for  some  record 
which  should  amply  sustain  your  notions  of  the 
magnitude  of  "  Street "  operations,  and  explain 
how,  as  if  by  magic,  men  and  things  change  like 
resolving  and  dissolving  views. 

Behold  me,  then,  an  active  inquirer  into  the 
famous  coal  scheme  which  Deams  has  introduced 
to  me,  and  which  is  represented  by  the  solid  house 
of  Masterman,  Coldbrook  &  Pope. 

Do  you  ask  me  why  I  consented  even  to  ex 
amine  the  affair,  when  I  so  thoroughly  knew  the 
character  of  Deams  by  actual  observation,  and 
felt  that  I  knew  equally  well,  by  intuition,  the 
status  of  Masterman,  Coldbrook  and  Pope  ? 


188  HENRY   POWEKS,  BANKER. 

I  can  only  say  in  reply  that  I  was  allured  in 
sensibly  by  the  dazzling  idea  of  somehow  or  other 
"  making  a  strike."  Other  enterprises  which  had 
turned  out  well  had  been  started  in  weak  and 
often  doubtful  hands,  yet  ultimately  found  their 
proper  place  on  the  market  and  settled  on  a  solid 
and  respectable  basis. 

Mind,  I  was  only  committed  to  "look  into" 
the  affair.  But  Deams  knew,  and  his  "three 
friends "  knew,  which  I  did  not,  that  this  was 
tantamount  to  enlisting  me  in  it. 

I  had  afterward  to  learn  that  the  apothegm 
"  to  hesitate  and  parley  is  to  be  lost "  will  bear 
many  applications,  none  more  true  than  with 
reference  to  such  transactions. 

One  morning — time  has  carried  us  on  to  the 
middle  of  October,  with  little  or  no  change  in  my 
own  matters,  only  that  I  was  living,  more  than 
ever,  perhaps,  from  hand  to  mouth — one  morning, 
I  say,  Deams  announced  to  me  that  he  was  ready 
to  go  "  fully  into  details "  on  the  subject  of  the 
Great  Coal  Company,  and  that  for  the  purpose 


HENRY  POWERS,   BANKER.  189 

of  being  quite  uninterrupted  he  thought  we  had 
better  go  round  to  the  establishment  of  Master- 
man,  Coldbrook  &  Pope,  where  every  document 
could  be  seen  and  all  questions  answered  "  by  the 
book." 

"I  thought  we  were  first  to  look  over  the 
papers  together  before  admitting  any  one  to  the 
interview,"  I  said  tartly. 

"  So  we  are,  Mr.  Powers,  but  we  shall  have  a 
private  room  quite  to  ourselves,  and  since  all  the 
books,  papers,  reports,  specimens,  and  so  forth,  are 
at  Masterman's,  I  think  we  can't  do  better  than 
go  there." 

It  was  impossible  to  say  a  word  against  so 
plain  a  proposition;  accordingly  we  started  to 
gether  to  visit  the  "  establishment "  (so  Deams 
always  called  it)  of  Masterman,  Coldbrook  & 
Pope. 

Perhaps  I  should  state  that  ever  since  the 
affair  of  the  note,  Deams  had  treated  me  with  a 
good  deal  of  deference. 

Whether  h's  object  was  merely  to  flatter  me, 


190  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

or  whether  he  inferred  from  the  circumstances  of 
my  paying  the  five  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  so 
promptly  that  I  had  funds  in  reserve,  it  is  of  little 
purpose  to  inquire.  He  certainly  was  much  more 
respectful  in  his  manner  than  ever  before,  and 
now  said,  "  Mr.  Powers,"  when  addressing  me,  in 
stead  of  the  more  familiar,  "  Powers*" 

"What  business  are  these  people  in,"  I  asked, 
as  we  passed  along. 

"  Well,  they  have  now  opened  very  fine  offices 
for  the  purposes  of  the  company,  as  well  as  for 
their  own  use,  so  that  the  company  can  com 
mence  at  once,  you  perceive,  with  superior  ac 
commodations." 

Deams  had  an  odd  habit  of  saying,  "  You  per 
ceive,"  whenever  any  thing  was  a  little  obscure,  or 
when  he  was  not  prepared  to  afford  explanations. 

Thinking  I  should  shortly  be  able  to  "per 
ceive"  for  myself,  I  made  no  reply,  but  marched 
on  in  silence. 

"  Here  we  are,"  said  Deams,  stopping  before 
one  of  the  finest  buildings  in  the  street. 


HENRF  POWERS,    BANKER.  191 

We  mounted  one  flight  of  stairs  only,  when  I 
saw  over  the  door  in  front  of  me,  in  large  let 
ters  : 

HOPE   AND   ANCHOR 

MUTUAL    COAL    COMPANY. 

HORATIO  J.  DEMPSEY,  President. 

On  the  door  I  read : 

MASTERMAN,  COLDBROOK  &  POPE, 
BANKERS, 

There  was  no  time  for  further  queries — Deams 
entered,  and  I  followed  him  into  the  main  room, 
which  was  protected  from  intruders  by  a  line  of 
counters  and  iron  railing,  with  two  or  three  small 
spaces  in  the  latter  to  admit  conference  if  de 
sired. 

Over  a  small  archway,  in  the  center,  I  read : 
Cashier;  at  another,  Transfer  Clerk;  and  so  on. 

At  one  of  these  interesting  points,  I  observed 
the  protruding  nose  of  Mr.  Elton  Pope,  and  caught 
u  glimpse  of  his  carroty  wig. 


192  HENKY  POWEKS,  BANKER. 

He  looked  littler,  and  his  nose  larger  than 
ever,  as  he  bobbed  his  head  in  token  of  wel 
come. 

Deams  did  not  wait  for  any  further  demonstra 
tion,  but  walked  to  a  side  door  which  opened 
into  a  cozy  room,  where  we  found  a  pleasant  fire; 
the  day  was  cool;  and  sitting  before  it  Mr. 
Aaron  Masterman,  who  was  busily  occupied  read 
ing  a  long  advertisement  in  one  of  the  daily 
papers. 

He  rose  as  we  entered,  shook  hands  with 
Beams  cordially,  and  with  me  in  a  deferential 
style,  which  was  quite  overcoming. 

"That  will  do,  I  guess,"  he  said,  handing  the 
paper  to  Deams,  as  he  placed  his  thick  forefinger 
on  the  notice. 

The  latter  made  a  careless  assent,  scarcely 
looking  at  the  article  in  question. 

"  Mr.  Powers  has  consented  to  give  us  an  hour 
or  two  this  morning  for  examination  and  confer 
ence,  before  investing  in  our  enterprise  or  under 
taking  to  interest  his  friends  in  it.  May  I  trouble 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  193 

you  for  the  title  papers  and  the  contract  held  by 
your  firm,  also  the  report  of  Professor  Silex,  and 
of  Dr.  Quartz,  besides  the  various  letters  relating 
to  the  property." 

"  Certainly,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Masterman.  "  I  will 
speak  to  Mr.  Pope,  and  you  will  have  them  be 
fore  you  without  a  moment's  delay." 

He  left  the  apartment,  and  thereupon  I  took 
occasion  to  look  about  me. 

The  room  was  elegantly  carpeted,  and  furnished 
in  the  most  handsome  manner. 

On  one  side  was  a  rosewood  cabinet  filled  with 
various  mineralogical  specimens,  admirably  selected, 
many  of  which  were  rare.  A  shelf  was  entirely 
devoted  to  "Specimens  of  coal  from  the  lands  of 
Grover  P.  Wilcox,  Esq."  These  were  remarkably 
fine  ones,  and  ought  certainly  to  have  satisfied 
the  most  critical  and  fastidious  examiner. 

"  It  looks  all  right,  don't  it  ?"  said  Deams  con 
fidently. 

I  made  no  reply. 

"  Splendid    cabinet :    it    belongs    to    Professor 


194  HENKY   POWERS,  BANKKE. 

Quartz.  We  have  borrowed  it  for  the  season. 
Good  idea,  don't  you  think  so  ?" 

I  had  no  time  to  make  any  observation,  for 
the  door  opened  and  Mr.  Elton.  Pope  came  in 
with  his  arms  filled  up  to  the  end  of  his  long 
proboscis,  with  several  immense  books,  maps,  news 
papers,  printed  pamphlets,  and  divers  rolls  of  man 
uscript. 

The  little  man  stood  for  a  moment  as  if  doubt 
ful  how  to  get  rid  of  his  load,  each  eye  wandering 
restlessly  from  point  to  point,  as  if  quite  inde 
pendent  of  the  other. 

"  Let  me  relieve  you,  my  dear  sir,"  said  Deams, 
and  he  proceeded  gradually  to  unload  the  poor 
fellow,  who,  when  the  operation  was  concluded, 
bowed,  in  the  most  touching  manner,  to  me,  and 
turned  and  left  the  room. 

"  Xow  for  work,"  said  Deams,  taking  up  one 
of  the  large  volumes,  which  I  saw  was  marked 
"  Geological  Survey  of  the  State  of  Pennsyl- 


What  is  all  this  for?"  I  asked. 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  195 

"I  wish,"  continued  Deams,  with  an  innocent 
air,  "  to  show  you  the  immense  value  of  the  coal 
deposits  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania." 

"  Don't  make  an  ass  of  yourself,  Deams,  or  at 
tempt  to  make  a  fool  of  me,"  I  said,  in  an  angry 
tone.  "  If  you  have  any  wish  to  talk  business, 
why,  proceed ;  if  not,  I'm  off." 

"  Now,  then,  don't  flash  in  this  way,  when  I 
am  doing  my  best  to  please  you.  The  fact  is, 
one  never  knows  where  you  will  break  out  next. 
I  thought,  of  all  things,  you  would  like  it  if  I 
began  at  the  beginning,  and  now  my  sincere  de 
sire  to  suit  you  puts  you  in  a  passion." 

Deams  had  a  singular  power  of  mollifying 
wrath,  at  least  with  me.  The  innocent  simplicity 
he  assumed  was  so  ludicrous  that  I  laughed  in 
spite  of  myself. 

"  Shall  we  take  up  the  titles  to  the  Wilcox 
Estate  ?"  he  inquired  in  the  same  tone. 

"  I  am  no  lawyer,  Deams,  and  I  suppose  your 
counsel  has  already  passed  on  them." 

"That  is  true;  Joel  P.  Phillips,  a  distinguished 


196  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

lawyer,  has  examined  the  papers  and  pronounced 
them  all  right.  His  opinion  should  satisfy  any 
body." 

"  What  next  ?" 

"  Next,  if  you  please,  are  very  particular  de 
tails  of  the  properties,  with  maps  and  descriptions 
of  the  different  veins. 

"  Look  here,"  continued  Deams,  producing  a 
pamphlet  of  about  one  hundred  pages,  contain 
ing  maps  covered  with  sections  of  the  different 
veins. 

The  pamphlet  also  embraced  the  reports  of  Pro 
fessor  Silex  and  Dr.  Quartz,  besides  numerous  let 
ters  from  practical  men  who  were  more  or  less 
known  to  me. 

"I  am  willing  to  call  this  'all  right,'  as  you 
term  it,  Deams ;  so  let  us  come  to  the  actual  mat 
ter  in  hand.  Let  me  see  your  scheme,  then  I  will 
tell  you  how  far  I  am  willing  to  co-operate  with 
you." 

"Here  is  the  Prospectus,"    said  Deams. 

I  took  it  and  read  as  follows: — 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.      197 

Hope  and  Anchor  Mutual  Coal  Company,  es 
tablished  under  the  act  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
passed  Feb.  17,  1848.  Capital  $2,750,000,  divided 
into  550,000  shares  of  $5  each.  This  company  is 
organized  on  the  plan  of  enabling  each  share 
holder  to  become  the  producer  of  his  own  coal, 
and  each  share  of  stock  entitles  the  holder  to  one 
ton  of  coal  a  year  at  cost. 

President, 
HORATIO    J.  DEMPSEY. 

Vice  President^ 
ELIHU  PRICE   PETERS. 

Treasurer, 
AARON    H.  MASTERMAN. 

Secretary, 
ELTON    POPE. 

Trustees, 

HORATIO  J.  DEMPSEY,  Antartic  Iron  Mills. 
ELIHU  PRICE  PETERS  (Peters   &  Osterhaus). 
AARON  H.  MASTERMAN   (Masterman,  Coldbrook  & 
Pope). 


198  HENKY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

JOHN"  R.  STILLHOUSE  (Stillhouse,  Fleet  &  Co). 
DAYID  BROKAW,  United  Steam  Wire  Co. 
ELTON  POPE  (Masterman,  Coldbrook  &  Pope). 
HENRY  POWERS,   Banker. 

JBanJcers, 

Bank  of  Mutual  Safety, 
MASTERMAN,  COLDBROOK   &  POPE. 

Counsel, 

JOEL  P.  PHILLIPS,  ESQ.  ;   ERASTUS  EAMS,  ESQ. 
Geologist. — Prof.  PAOLI  SILEX. 
Practical  do. — Dr.  Rums  QUARTZ. 

I  sat  and  looked  at  the  names  in  perfect 
amazement. 

With  the  exception  of  Masterman,  Pope,  and 
myself,  these  names  were  as  well  known  and  re 
spectable  as  any  in  New  York.  Indeed,  so  per 
fectly  was  I  taken  by  surprise  at  the  sight  of 
them,  that,  at  first,  I  never  thought  of  the  unwar 
rantable  use  made  of  my  own  name. 

After  I  recovered  a  little,  it  occurred  to  me 
that  the  others  might  have  been  placed  there,  as 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  199 

mine  had  been,  without  consulting  the  parties  con 
cerned. 

Deams  watched  me  in  silence. 

At  length  I  looked  up.  "  Tell  me,"  I  said, 
"  are  these  names  here  with  the  consent  of  the 
persons  indicated  ?" 

"  Every  one  of  them,  on  my  honor,"  said 
Deams,  stoutly,  "  except  your  own." 

"And  why  did  you  not  consult  me?"  I  asked. 

"  I  will  tell  you  why,  Mr.  Powers.  It  is  be 
cause  you  are  so  very  queer  sometimes,  so  very 
queer.  One  can  never  tell  what  you  are  going 
to  do  or  what  you  will  say,  and  I  candidly  con 
fess  to  you,  now  we  are  all  strait,  that  I  was 
afraid  to  let  you  know  about  it — indeed  I  was." 

"  But  why  do  you  put  me  on  at  all  ?" 

"  Now  don't,  I  beg,"  said  Deams,  laughing, 
"  don't  try  to  look  simple,  as  if  you  didn't  know 
as  much  about  some  things  as  the  next  man.  I 
say,"  he  continued,  "  do  you  see  my  name 
there  ?" 

"  No." 


200  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKEE, 

"  I  should  rather  suppose  not.  Yet  am  I  not 
the  life  and  soul  of  the  enterprise,  the  originator, 
developer,  promoter,  and  so  forward.  Are  you 
not  my  ally,  associate,  and  friend,  and  at  the  same 
time  entirely  competent  to  represent,  care  for,  and 
protect  our  interests  in  the  Hope  &  Anchor  Mu 
tual  Coal  Company  ?" 

Deams  evidently  had  gained  considerable  cour 
age  since  the  list  of  trustees  was  completed,  which 
made  him  particularly  grandiloquent  on  this  oc 
casion. 

"Honestly,  then,  without  prevarication,  you 
declare  these  individuals  have  consented  to  act 
as  trustees  ?"  I  said  very  seriously. 

"I  do,"   replied  Deams. 

"Well,  then,  now  for  the  scheme." 

"Now  for  it,"  echoed  Deams  in  a  business 
tone.  "  Let  us  keep  our  wits  about  us,  Mr. 
Powers,  and  we  have  made  all  the  money  we 
shall  require  for  the  rest  of  our  lives ;  let  me  tell 
you  that." 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  201 

"  Never  mind  that,  now,  Deams,  but  give  me 
the  programme." 

"  Here  you  have  it.  First,  you  understand  the 
principle  on  which  we  propose  to  run  the 
machine — the  mutual  principle,  I  mean  ?" 

"  Yes,  I  believe  I  do,  and  what  is  more  I  think 
the  principle  a  first-rate  one.  In  my  opinion,  if 
honestly  conducted,  it  will  take  well." 

"  Aha  !  I  thought  you  would  come  to  it,"  said 
Deams  triumphantly.  "  I  invented  the  idea  my 
self.  I  was  brought  to  it,  partly  by  seeing  notices 
of  the  high  price  of  coal,  but  more  particularly 
by  reading  lots  of  newspaper  articles,  abusing  the 
retailers. 

"  If  every  newspaper  had  been  under  pay,  they 
could  not  have  served  the  Hope  and  Anchor  bet 
ter.  No,  indeed;  everybody  is  crying  out  against 
the  coal  dealers,  and  the  public  are  ready  to  go 
in  for  any  thing  which  will  bring  the  rascals  to 
terms. 

"  On  this  hint  I  spake,  as  Othello  says,  and  you 

see  how  I  have  got  on.     Besides,  I  came  the  be- 
9* 


202  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

nevolent  dodge,  which  secured  Mr.  Dempscy  for 
President.  You  know  he  is  great  on  taking  care 
of  the  city  poor.  He  is  interested  in  a  dozen 
different  societies.  We  are  going  to  supply  the 
whole  of  them  with  coal  at  cost.  Poor  folks 
shall  be  victimized  no  longer. 

"  With  Dempsey  once  in,  you  may  judge  it  was 
not  difficult  to  get  Stillhouse,  his  son-in-law.  The 
rest  followed  like  sheep." 

"Then  you  have  all  the  funds  you  want?" 
"Why,  nofr  exactly.  You  see  all  these  good 
sort  of  people  are  just  as  ready  to  make  money 
as  the  other  kind ;  why  shouldn't  they  be  ?  So 
I  explained  to  Mr.  Dempsey  that  we  had  re 
served  for  him  two  thousand  shares  of  stock,  as 
compensation  for  his  services,  and  that  we  should 
not  call  on  him  for  any  money.  So  we  say  to 
all  the  trustees.  Mr.  Dempsey  was  content.  He 
consented  to  act,  but  declined  to  keep  the  stock 
for  himself;  he  said  he  would  hold  it,  however, 
for  the  poor  of  the  Five  Points.  Noble  fellow, 
that !" 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  203 

"  How  are  you  to  get  money  then,"  I  asked. 

"  From  the  public,  sir,  on  this  prospectus ! 
Let  me  explain." 

And  thereupon  Deams  went  into  the  figures, 
which  I  propose  shall  be  the  subject  of  the  next 
chapter. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

MARY  WOKTH  ! 

Reader  you  have  these  cabalistic — to  me  cab 
alistic — words  placed  at  the  head  of  this  chapter, 
instead  of  the  "  figures "  which  were  promised 
you  of  the  magnificent  scheme  of  the  HOPE  & 
ANCHOR  MUTUAL  COAL  COMPANY! 

In  this  connection  you  doubtless  consider  it 
quite  out  of  place,  just  as  yon  are  seated  at 
the  table  with  Deams  and  myself,  your  wits 
sharpened  for  the  trial,  to  have  only  these  two 
words  put  on  the  programme ! 

"  It  satisfies  me,"  you  say  pettishly,  "  that 
Powers  will  never  succeed."  Besides,  you  feel, 
perhaps,  that  I  am  trifling  with  you;  or,  you 
imagine,  on  consideration,  I  don't  deem  it  pru 
dent  to  let  you  into  the  affair,  and  you  call 
this  very  shabby  treatment  after  my  holding  out 
so  many  inducements  to  attract  your  attention. 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  205 

Suppose  it  to  be  so;  what  have  you  to  com 
plain  of?  Are  we  not  in  Wall  Street?  Have 
we  passed  our  words  to  each  other?  Jones, 
having  taken  up  my  enterprise  without  exami 
nation,  while  you,  Robinson,  are  wasting  precious 
time  in  examining  it,  has  secured  the  right  to 
a  "call"  of  the  stock  at  a  favorable  rate,  thus 
shutting  you  out  from  a  participation  in  this 
magnificent  and  colossal  enterprise. 

After  this,  Robinson,  think  quick,  and  strike 
quick,  or  you  will  not  do  for  the  "  Street." 

However,  on  this  occasion,  I  admit  I  am 
alarming  you  without  cause.  The  matter  is  still 
"  open." 

Let  me  say  my  say  about  Mary  Worth,  and 
then  to  business. 

In  the  midst  of  these  figures,  how  came  her 
name  interposed? 

I  will  tell  you.  It  happened,  just  as  I  was 
setting  myself  to  the  work  of  investigation,  that 
something  whispered,  "Succeed  in  this,  and  you 
will  win  her!" 


206  HENBY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

And  was  it  not  impossible  for  me  to  become 
her  suitor  without  first  acquiring  a  fortune,  or 
at  least  a  competency? 

No,  it  was  not  possible,  because  not  consist 
ent  with  self-respect. 

I  knew  very  well  several  young  men  about 
town,  who  were  always  on  the  look  out  for 
rich  girls.  There  is  Trovers,  who  was  for  fifteen 
years,  as  I  have  been  told,  indefatigable  in  his 
attempts  to  obtain  a  rich  wife  [you  know  Tro 
vers,  lately  a  teller  in  this  same  Bank  of  Mutual 
Safety],  and  only  last  year  accomplished  his 
object — secured  a  young  widow  with  two  hun 
dred  thousand.  But  everybody  points  at  Tro 
vers,  and  calls  him  disagreeable  names.  To  be 
sure  he  has  quit  the  bank,  and  set  up  an  es 
tablishment,  and  goes  into  "  society ;"  still  I 
doubt  if  any  one  respects  him.  Besides,  although 
scarcely  a  year  married,  people  say  he  and  his 
wife  do  not  live  happily  together.  He  does 
not  care,  it  is  true,  but  I  should  care,  and  so 
I  could  never  place  myself  in  his  position. 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  207 

"  If  I  make  a  fortune,  I  shall  feel  satisfied 
to  cultivate  an  acquaintance  with  Miss  Worth, 
and  attempt  to  win  her.  Otherwise  not."  So  I 
said  to  myself  after  returning  from  Long  Branch. 

When,  therefore,  some  spirit  whispered  in  my 
ear  the  words  I  have  just  recorded,  it  made 
my  pulse  beat  very  quick,  so  that  I  breathed 
with  difficulty,  when  I  thought  what  was  possi 
ble  to  come  of  the  morning's  work  which  was 
before  me. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Powers,  I  am  going  to  act  oil 
the  square  with  you,"  said  Deams,  with  the 
courageous  air  of  a  man  who  had  just  adopted 
a  virtuous  resolution. 

"So  I  suppose." 

"  Yes,  you  shall  have  the  whole  story.  What 
I  know,  you  shall  know.  We  will  work  like 
two  brothers,  and  divide  even." 

"  Well  ?" 

"Well,"  continued  Deams,  "this  affair  is  all 
MINE.  Those  chaps  in  there  (pointing  to  the 
other  room)  are  mere " 

"Tools  of  yours;  I  thought  as  much,"  inter 
rupted  I. 

"  No,  no,  Mr.  Powers,  I  was  not  going  to 
say  *  tools'  but  agents;  they  are  my  agents — 
well,  not  exactly  agents  either;  in  fact,  I  got 
the  affair  up,  and  they  do  as  I  say." 


HENKY   POWERS,  BANKER.  209 

"I  think  you  had  better  let  my  application 
stand,  Deams.  Go  on." 

"  You  see,"  continued  Deams,  "  I  have  known 
Pope  for  several  years.  He  keeps  a  small  hat 
and  cap  store  in  Sixth  Avenue.  Very  honest 
fellow  is  Pope,  very  snug  too,  has  laid  by  four 
or  five  thousand  cash. 

"  Now  Pope  knew  Grover  P.  Wilcox,  the 
owner  of  the  coal  land,  and  one  day  was  men 
tioning  the  subject  to  me,  and  how  Wilcox 
would  like  to  sell. 

"I  turned  it  over  in  my  mind,  and  finally 
told  Pope  that  if  Wilcox  would  go  to  the  ex 
pense  of  a  map,  and  have  the  property  reported 
on  by  Quartz  and  Silex,  I  would  take  it  up, 
provided  we  could  agree  on  the  terms.  Well, 
we  came  to  an  agreement  (between  us,  Powers, 
only  between  us),"  exclaimed  Deams,  convuls- 
ingly,  as  he  grasped  my  hand  in  token  of  the 
confidence  he  was  reposing  in  me,  "  which  was, 
I  say,  that  I  should  pay  Wilcox  sixty  thousand 
dollars  cash  for  the  entire  property." 


210  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

"  Sixty  thousand  dollars !"  I  said  in  amaze 
ment.  "  Why,  Deams,  you  go  to  the  public 
with  a  statement  that  we  pay  a  million  and  a 
half  of  dollars.  Three  hundred  thousand  dollars 
in  cash,  and  the  balance  in  stock  of  the  Company 
at  par." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Powers.  I  do  not 
say  we  do  any  such  thing.  I  say  the  Company 
pays  that  amount  for  the  property,  and  so  it 
does  and  so  it  will,  or  my  name  isn't  Deams." 

"That's  what  I  call  rascality,"  I  said  with 
emphasis. 

"  You  are  a  fool,  Powers,  and  nothing  else," 
exclaimed  Deams,  thrown  out  of  his  sense  of 
propriety  by  my  rather  startling  proposition. 

"  Hold  on,"  he  continued,  seeing  my  face 
flush,  "  hold  on,  and  let  me  ask  you  a  question 
or  two.  Suppose  you  had  a  chance  to  buy  a 
lot  up  town  for  a  thousand  dollars,  and  y 
knew  at  the  same  time  you  could  sell  it  i 
sixty  days  for  two  thousand,  would  you  make 
the  purchase?" 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  211 

"Very  likely." 

"Then    you    see    no    objection    to    buying    at 
one   price   and   selling   at   a   better    one,   provided 
you  use  no  deception  ?" 

"  No." 

"  Well,  then,  where  is  the  *  rascality '  in  this 
case?  Wilcox  has  a  very  large  tract  of  what 
is  now  to  him  wild  land.  It  probably  cost  him 
a  mere  song  twenty  years  ago,  or  he  may  have 
inherited  it.  He  has  no  knowledge  of  the 
machinery  of  getting  up  a  company  to  work  his 
mines.  We  have.  So  he  furnishes  the  raw 
material  at  a  low  figure.  We  buy,  and  get 
the  price  it  should  really  command  when  prop 
erly  developed.  I  don't  suppose  you  are  so 
very  benevolent  as  to  wish  to  work  for  the 
public  exactly  for  nothing?" 

"I  'admit,  Deams,  there  is  a  good  deal  in 
what  you  say,"  I  remarked,  considerably  softened, 
"  but  it  is  the  tremendous  difference  between  the 
price  we  pay  and  the  price  it  is  put  in  at  to 
the  Company,  that  staggers  me." 


212  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

" Now  stop  just  there,"  said  Deams;  "stick 
a  pin  there.  You  admit  my  principle  is  cor 
rect,  only  you  fear  I  overcharge  the  Company 
for  the  property.  What  if  I  show  you,  by 
proper  computations  and  by  certificates  of  first- 
class  men,  that  we  are  not  overcharging,  it  is 
all  right,  is  it  not?" 

"Let  the  matter  rest  where  it  is,  Deams,  and 
go  on  with  your  explanation."  I  felt  that  he 
had  the  best  of  the  argument,  but  I  was  not 
altogether  convinced  either. 

"I  will  resume,"  said  Deams  pompously. 
"  But  I  beg  you,  Mr.  Powers,  not  to  interrupt 
me  again  with  objections  until  I  am  through ; 
then  raise  as  many  as  you  please." 

I  was  silent,  and  Deams  proceeded. 

"  Let  me  see,  where  was  I  ?  oh,  I  was  say 
ing  I  had  agreed  to  pay  sixty  thousand  dollars 
cash  for  the  property.  So  far,  so  good.  Then 
came  the  organization,  where  to  begin  and  how 
to  do  it.  That  is,  how  to  get  the  property 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  213 

honestly — mind  you,  I  say  honestly — to  the  Com 
pany  at  our  price. 

"Once  deciding  that  it  is  worth  all  the  Com 
pany  is  asked  to  pay  for  it,  the  only  question 
is,  you  perceive,  the  mere  manipulation.  Pope, 
was  acquainted  with  Coldbrook.  They  are  first 
cousins.  Coldbrook  is  in  the  hosiery  line,  and 
he  too  has  some  money.  Neither  of  these  gentle 
men  are  particularly  presentable,  as  you  have 
doubtless  observed,  but  they  are  straightforward, 
honest  fellows ;  they  mean  right,  and  will  do 
just  as  they  agree. 

"As  to  Masterman,  I  have  known  him  a  good 
while.  He  used  to  be  knocking  about  the  Street 
ten  years  ago ;  he  went  off  to  California,  and 
turned  up  here  about  three  months  since.  He 
knows  the  ropes  and  will  do  what  I  tell  him." 

"  How  about  his  honesty  ?" 

"  I  entreat  you  not  to  interrupt  me,"  repeated 
Deams.  "You  make  me  lose  the  thread  of — 
let  me  see — oh,  I  was  about  saying  that  Pope  at- 


214:  HENRY  POWKES,  BANKER. 

tends  the  same  church  with  Horatio  J.  Dempsey, 
and  is  a  very  active  person  in  all  that  is  go 
ing  on.  Helps  look  up  orphan  children,  calls  on 
the  indigent  families, — in  fact,  does  a  great  deal 
of  good. 

"Just  as  soon  as  I  thought  of  the  benevo 
lent  idea  of  furnishing  coal  to  the  poor  at  cost, 
without  regard  to  their  taking  stock,  I  told 
Pope  he  must  secure  Mr.  Dempsey  for  President ; 
that  he  must  urge  it  on  him  as  a  matter  of 
duty.  The  thing  took  splendidly — Dempsey  was 
delighted.  He  was  cautious  enough,  too.  He 
had  a  formal  interview  with  Quartz  and  Silex, 
and  insisted  that  his  own  counsel,  Mr.  Phillips, 
should  certify  as  to  the  titles,  before  he  con 
sented  to  act. 

"  Of  course  we  asked  him  for  no  money,  and 
donated  two  thousand  shares  all  round. 

"So  far  all  was  successful.  Next  came  the 
bargain  with  my  friends. 

"  I  wanted  them  to  open  a  *  banking  house,' 
where  the  office  of  the  Company  should  be 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  215 

located.  It  would  cost  at  least  a  thousand  dol 
lars  to  furnish  it ;  besides,  the  rent  is  fearfully 
high,  but  I  considered  it  essential  to  success. 

"  At  length  we  agreed  on  the  following :  Wil- 
cox  was  to  give  Masterman,  Coldbrook,  and  Pope 
a  contract  for  the  sale  of  the  property  to  them, 
which  was  to  be  laid  before  the  Company,  and 
for  which  contract  the  Company  are  to  pay  the 
aforesaid  Masterman,  Coldbrook,  and  Pope,  the 
sum  of  twelve  thousand  dollars  cash,  and  assume 
the  entire  responsibility  of  carrying  it  out. 

"  This  twelve  thousand  our  three  friends  are 
to  divide ;  but  in  consideration  of  that,  they  hire 
these  offices  and  furnish  them.  They  get,  besides, 
a  hundred  thousand  dollars  apiece  of  the  stock, 
after  the  Company  is  in  full  mining  operation — • 
not  before." 

Deams  paused  to  take  breath,  and  to  see  what 
effect  his  recital  had  on  me. 

"  Go  on,"  I  said,  quietly. 

Deams  did  not  go  on,  but  instead,  he  contin 
ued  silent.  He  looked  for  a  while  very  hard  at 


216  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

me,  as  if  trying  to  satisfy  himself  of  the  impres 
sion  he  had  made. 

At  length  he  broke  out  as  follows :  "  Powers 
— one  word — we  know  each  other  well,  or  ought 
to.  What  I  want  to  say  is,  if  you  are  not  will 
ing  to  go  into  this  with  me,  you  will  do  nothing 
to  my  prejudice,  will  you?" 

I  answered  at  once — "  Certainly  not." 

"I  knew  you  wouldn't,  my  dear  fellow,  I 
knew  you  wouldn't.  You  are  true  as  steel.  I 
always  felt  you  were.  As  to  our  Company,  it  is 
right.  You  may  depend  on  it,  and  if  you  will  let 
me,  I  will  make  an  independent  fortune  for  you." 

"  Go  on,  Deams,"  I  repeated.  "  I  certainly 
shall  not  decide  against  the  scheme  until  I  have 
heard  you  through." 

"Thank  you,  my  boy,  thank  you,"  said  Deams, 
in  a  grateful  tone.  "  Now  let  me  have  your 
attention  to  these  figures." 

Thereupon  Deams  placed  a  sheet  of  paper  be 
fore  me,  and,  drawing  his  chair  near,  pointed  with 
his  pencil  to  the  schedule,  which  read  as  follows: — 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  217 

HOPE  AND  ANCHOR. 

Capital  stock $2,750,000 

Set  aside  for  working  capital 1,250,000 


Remaining $1,500,000 

Masterman,   C.    &   P.,    100,000 

each •. $300,000 

Four  other  parties,  $10,000  each     40,000 

For  the  press 100,000 

Six  benevolent  clergymen 60,000 

Broker „ 100,000 

Incidentals 100,000 

700,000 


To    be    divided    between    Beams    and 

Powers  in  stock $800,000 

To   be   received   in   cash  in  five   install 
ments  $300,000 

To  be  paid  Wilcox 60,000 

Cash  to  be  divided  between  Deams  and 

Powers. ; $240,000 

10 


218  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  that  ?  Say,  now — 
what  do  you  think  of  that,  Powers?  Four  hun 
dred  thousand  dollars  of  the  stock  apiece ! 
Eighty  thousand  shares  !  Why,  I  tell  you,  they 
will  go  oif  like  hot  cakes,  at  two  dollars  a  share, 
which  means  a  clear  one  hundred  and  sixty  thou 
sand  dollars  each,  cash,  besides  our  yearly  cash 
receipts  of  sixty  thousand  dollars  for  four  years, 
making " 

"Deams,  what  do  you  wish  me  to  do  for  being 
allowed  to  participate  in  this  ?" 

"Always  suspicious,"  replied  Deams,  with  en 
tire  good-humor.  "I  have  already  explained  that 
my  name  must  not  appear  in  this,  because  I  am 
tabooed,  financially.  I  want  you  to  represent  my 
interest  and  your  own ;  besides,  you  are  active, 
competent,  and  can  be  trusted.  There,  you  have 
it." 

I  sat  five  minutes  without  making  the  least 
reply.  Deams,  meantime,  was  careful  not  to  inter 
rupt  me. 

My  thoughts,  if  put  into  language,  would  run 


HENEY  POWERS,  BA.NKE#.  219 

something  in  this  way.  "  I  have  a  sort  of  innate 
conviction  that  this  affair  is  all  wrong — I  can't 
exactly  argue  it  out  either.  I  only  feel  it.  Still, 
am  I  not  too  straight-laced  in  my  notions — 
Deams's  scheme  is  the  ordinary  one  for  specula 
tive  companies  —  which  often  pay  well  and  do 
well,  and  finally  become  remunerative.  I  am 
sorry  I  have  taken  such  a  dislike  to  his  *  three 
friends' — I  dare  say,  though,  I  do  Pope  and  Cold- 
brook  injustice.  Deams  says  they  are  honest  men. 
Doubtless  they  are.  Masterman,  unmistakably,  is 
a  hard  case.  However,  I  won't  judge  from  ap 
pearances,  at  least  not  hastily.  What  is  the 
necessity  of  judging  at  all  ?  If  such  men  as 
Dempsey,  Peters,  Stillhouse,  and  Brockaw  have 
gone  into  this  and  indorsed  the  scheme  to  the 
public  by  consenting  to  act  as  trustees,  why, 
Henry  Powers,  do  you  hesitate  ?  Four  first-class 
New  Yorkers  lead  the  enterprise,  not  you.  '  Be 
not  righteous  overmuch.'  I  don't  exactly  know 
what  that  means,  but  it  must  mean  something. 
Doesn't  it  mean,  Henry  Powers,  you  can  safely 


220  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKKR. 

leave  the  morality  of  this  scheme  to  those  four 
excellent  persons,  and  do  your  best  to  co-operate 
with  them? Four  hundred  thousand  dol 
lars  in  stock One  hundred  and  sixty 

thousand  dollars  in  money  .  .  .  Thirty  thousand 
dollars  a  year  cash  for  four  years.  .  .  .  Wealth. 

Commanding  position Mary 

Worth !" 

"  Deams  ?" 

"What?" 

"  I  will  go  in  !" 

"  Good.  I  knew  you  would  when  you  thought 
it  over." 

"  Very  well,  I  have  thought  it  over.  ISTow  let 
me  know  what  your  plan  is  for  raising  the 
money — that  is  the  first  point." 

"  Of  course  it  is.  I  will  tell  you  my  difficulty, 
and  why  I  introduced  you  as  the  capitalist.  The 
twelve  thousand  dollars  which  I  have  promised 
to  these  people,  they  are  getting  a  little  restive 
about.  The  fact  is,  Pope  and  Coldbrook  have 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  221 

furnished  the  offices,  and  the  concern  has  rented 
them,  and  the  whole  will  count  up  a  pretty  fig 
ure.  I  have  told  them  you  would  advance  the 
twelve  thousand  'dollars  as  soon  as  you  were  sat 
isfied,  and  so  forth.  Now  you  have  entered  on 
the  examination  you  can  take  a  little  time  for  it 
—eh  ?" 

"Deams?" 

"What?" 

"  How  much  of  the  twelve  thousand  dollars 
goes  to  you?  Recollect  you  are  on  the  square 
with  me." 

"  One-fourth  of  it — three  thousand  dollars,"  re 
sponded  Deams,  with  the  contortion  of  a  man 
undergoing  the  extraction  of  an  eye-tooth. 

"  One-half  of  which  is  mine." 

"  Certainly  " — another  tooth  drawn. 

"Well,  Deams,  that  was  very  thoughtful  in 
you  to  provide  for  a  little  ready  money." 

"  Wasn't  it  though  !"  said  Deams,  still  wincing. 

"How  do  you  propose  to  procure  this  twelve 
thousand  dollars  ?" 


222  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

"  I  am  a  little  uncertain.  I  did  think  you 
would  raise  it  through  the  Bank  of  Mutual  Safety, 
but  I  suppose  there  is  no  use  asking  you  to  do 
that  ?" 

I  shook  my  head. 

"  Do  you  propose  any  thing  ? "  continued 
Deams. 

"I  do.  Let  us  put  the  matter  into  the  hands 
of  a  first-class  broker,  and  raise  what  money  we 
Want  through  him.  We  will  double  the  amount 
of  stock  he  is  to  receive,  if  necessary.  I  will 
speak  to  Stokes  myself  about  it." 

"Will  you?"  said  Deams,  brightening  up. 
"That  is  just  what  I  was  going  to  ask  you  to 
do.  The  whole  thing  is  clear.  Now  I  think  we 
may  call  in  our  friends  from  the  other  room." 


CHAPTER     XXII. 

AARON  MASTERMA^,  Elton  Pope,  and  Philo 
Coldbrook  were  anxiously  awaiting  in  the  count 
ing-room  of  their  showy  "  banking-house,"  the 
result  of  my  examination  into  the  aifairs  of  the 
new  Company.  Each  had  a  particular  interest  in 
this.  Masterman  was  impatient  to  handle  his 
share  of  the  twelve  thousand  dollars,  while  Pope 
and  Coldbrook  were  beginning  to  tremble,  as 
well  they  might,  for  their  investment  in  so  much 
fine  furniture,  and  for  their  liability  on  account 
of  so  much  rent  and  clerk  hire. 

Deams  proceeded  to  open  the  door,  and  in  a 
trice  the  firm  of  "Masterman,  Coldbrook  &  Pope" 
entered. 

"  I  am  happy  to  announce  to  you,  gentlemen," 
said  Deams,  in  a  pompous  tone,  "that  my  friend, 
Mr.  Powers,  has  made  very  considerable  progress 
in  looking  into  our  matters.  He  authorizes  me  to 


224  HENBY  POWERS,  BANKEK. 

say,  that  he  has  no  doubt  he  will  bring  the  ex 
amination  to  a  favorable  conclusion.  That  done, 
I  am  further  instructed  to  observe  that  the  little 
sum  you  require,  on  passing  the  contract,  will  be 
forthcoming." 

Here  Deams  looked  toward  me,  as  if  seeking 
some  token  of  acquiescence. 

The  "three  friends,"  at  the  same  time,  turned 
their  ardent  gaze  in  my  direction,  while  breath 
lessly  waiting  a  confirmation  of  the  welcome  in 
telligence. 

"Gentlemen,"  I  said,  "I  am  not  very  rapid  in 
such  matters,  but  I  think  I  have  seen  enough  of 
your  scheme  to  warrant  me  in  saying  I  have  no 
doubt  I  shall  take  it  up,  and  you  will  find  me 
prompt  in  whatever  I  do  undertake.  I  hardly 
think  you  can  expect  more  from  me  to-day." 

"Perfectly  satisfactory,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Master- 
man,  who  acted  as  a  sort  of  claqueur  for  the 
other  two,  "perfectly  satisfactory.  Speaks  like  a 
trump !" 

"  Very  satisfactory,  truly,"  said  little  Mr.  Popo. 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  225 

"  Indeed  it  is,"  echoed  Coldbrook. 

"That  being  the  case,"  said  Deams,  "suppose 
we  have  lunch.  Masterman,  let  Abram  order 
some  lamb-chops,  and  a  tenderloin,  with  the  et 
ceteras,  from  Hinckley's,  and  seeing  it  is  Mr. 
Powers'  first  visit  to  our  office,  why,  two  or  three 
bottles  of  champagne  won't  come  amiss." 

Masterman  bustled  out  to  give  the  order, 
while  Pope  and  partner  manifested  a  very  amia 
ble  assent,  certainly,  —  considering  the  disburse 
ments  for  the  repast  were  to  come  from  their 
treasury. 

Two  of  Hinckley's  waiters  speedily  appeared, 
and  very  soon  the  table  of  the  "  Board  of  Trus 
tees  of  the  Hope  and  Anchor  Mutual  Coal  Com 
pany"  presented  a  very  inviting  appearance. 

Deams  was  now  in  his  element.  Visions  of  a 
"  splendid  success "  grew  more  and  more  vivid  as 
each  successive  bumper  of  champagne  was  tossed 
down. 

Masterman  was   no  way  behind   Deams   in   his 

practical     appreciation    of    the    article.      In    fact, 
10* 


226  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

these  two  worthies  rather  monopolized  the  three 
bottles.  I  think  little  Mr.  Pope  and  lank  Mr. 
Coldbrook  were  helped  to  a  glass  each  only. 

For  myself,  I  partook  of  the  lunch  and  the 
wine  with  considerable  relish.  I  had  a  good  op 
portunity  to  judge  of  the  company  I  was  keeping. 
"In  vino  veritas"  you  know;  and  I  was  pleased 
to  be  able  to  reconsider  the  hasty  judgment  I 
had  previously  formed  of  Pope  and  Coldbrook. 
I  was  convinced  they  were  really  honest  persons, 
who  had  been  carried  away  with  the  hope  of  rap 
idly  making  a  fortune,  and  who  had  actually  been 
made  to  believe,  through  the  agency  of  Deams, 
that  they  were  fitted  for  Wall  Street  operations. 

As  to  Masterman,  he  simply  developed,  as  he 
guzzled  the  wine,  the  characteristics  I  had  previ 
ously  given  him  credit  for. 

The  hilarious  occasion  could  not  last  forever. 
All  things  mundane  must  have  an  end. 

Our  little  company  at  length  broke  up.  Every 
one,  myself  included,  expressing  the  opinion  that 
we  were  on  the  road  to  fortune,  if  not  to  fame. 


HENEY   POWERS,  BANKER.  227 

"Possibly  to  notoriety"  something  whispered. 
I  checked  the  mentor. 

"  I  am  in  for  it,  and  will  go  through,"   I  mut 
tered,  as  I  turned  down  the  street. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

THE  next  day,  on  coming  down  town,  I  stop 
ped  in  to  look  at  some  offices  which  were  to  let 
in  a  central  position  in  Wall  Street. 

These  consisted  of  two  small,  but  neat  and 
handsomely  furnished  rooms,  in  the  second  story. 
The  occupant  had  taken,  originally,  a  five  years' 
lease  of  them ;  and  having  been  fortunate  in  busi 
ness,  was  now  going  to  Europe,  leaving  eighteen 
months  of  the  term  unexpired.  I  found  the  price 
reasonable,  and  I  secured  the  rooms  on  the  spot, 

I  next  proceeded  to  a  sign-painter,  where  I 
ordered  a  fine  large  sign,  which  should  be  placed 
over  the  door  and  running  its  entire  width. 

On  this    sign  I  directed  to  be  painted   in   gilt 

letters : 

HENRY    POWERS. 

Two  or  three  small  tin  signs  for  the  outside 
of  the  building  and  the  passage-way  completed 
the  arrangements. 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  229 

I  made  no  specifications  after  my  name,  but 
stood  before  the  public  simply  as  "HENRY 
POWERS."  It  struck  me  that  as  long  as  I  could 
claim  no  particular  occupation,  I  had  better  let 
the  name  rest  on  its  merits.  "HENRY  POWERS," 
standing  by  itself  was  rather  imposing  than  other 
wise.  "HENRY  POWERS,  Stock-Broker,"  was  alto 
gether  insignificant. 

These  arrangements  concluded,  I  went  to  my 
old  office,  twisted  off  the  tin  sign — which  was 
stuck  on  one  side  of  the  door,  and  in  its  place 
affixed  a  sheet  of  paper,  on  which  was  written : 

Henry    Powers,  removed  to   N~o. Wall  Street. 

While  I  was  inside  collecting  the  few  papers 
which  belonged  to  me,  Deams  suddenly  entered. 
Consternation  was  pictured  on  his  countenance — 

"  Good  gracious !  Mr,  Powers,  what  does  this 
mean  ?  What  can  it  mean  ?" 

"Deams,  do  you  suppose  that  'Henry  Powers, 
Banker,'  is  going  to  take  up  with  desk-room  in 


230  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

this    insignificant   basement?      Let   me   tell   you  I 
change  my  office  to  suit  my  position — " 

"For  mercy's  sake,  no  joking.  Let  me  know, 
truly,  the  meaning  of  all  this." 

"  Come  with  me,  Deams,  and  I  will  explain." 

Deams  followed  me  in  silence. 

I  led  the  way  to  my  new  office,  and  unlocking 
the  door,  ushered  him  in. 

"  By  Jove !"  said  Deams,  brightening  up ; 
"  I  think  I  understand  it  now ;  Delain  left  his 
office  to  be  let,  I  knew.  I  wonder  I  had  not 
thought  of  it  myself.  You  have  got  it  at  a 
bargain,  I  dare  say.  The  rooms  will  suit  us 
splendidly." 

"  Me  you  mean,  Deams.  I  do  not  propose  that 
any  one  shall  occupy  the  place  but  myself." 

"How  so?"    said   Deams. 

"  Just  this.  I  have  undertaken,  as  you  know, 
to  float  this  new  company.  To  do  this,  we  must 
have  separate  offices." 

"  Do  you  really  mean  it  ?" 

"Of   course   I   do.     Think  a  moment,  Deams," 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  231 

* 

I  continued  kindly,  "  and  you  will  admit  I  am 
right;  you  yourself  would  not  permit  your  name 
to  be  used  on  the  prospectus,  or  as  trustee,  be 
cause  you  thought  it  would  injure  the  Company. 
I  appreciated  your  motives,  and  I  want  you  to 
appreciate  mine." 

"  I  do,  my  dear  Powers,  I  do,"  replied  Deams, 
almost  with  tears  in  his  eyes.  "  Your  course  is 
the  correct  one.  It  is  better  for  you  to  have  a 
respectable  place  to  hail  from,  disconnected  from 
mine.  We  can  meet  at  my  place  when  you  like, 
and  here  when  you  like,  while  carrying  out  our 
plans." 

"  Exactly,"  I  replied,  and  Deams  left  in  excel 
lent  spirits. 

I  will  let  you,  reader,  a  little  further  into  my 
motives  for  so  abruptly  changing  my  place  of 
business. 

I  had  made  a  mistake  in  my  connection  with 
Deams,  and  determined  in  future  to  sail  in  com 
pany  with  the  four  first-class  trustees,  Messrs. 
Dempsey,  Peters,  Stillhouse,  and  Brokaw,  and  not 


232  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

with  the  members  of  the  other  department  of  the 
concern. 

To  do  this  I  must  cut  loose  from  Deams,  as 
well  as  from  the  associations  of  his  office;  and  I 
must  have  a  place  where  I  should  not  be  ashamed 
to  ask  my  co-trustees  to  call  on  me. 

I  determined  further,  if  any  thing  should  go 
wrong  in  the  affairs  of  the  Company,  that  the 
four  gentlemen  I  have  mentioned  should  bear 
their  full  share  of  the  responsibility. 

Again,  if  I  was  to  confer  with  Stokes,  the 
large  stock-broker,  what  could  I  expect  hailing 
from  that  basement  yonder  ? 

You  see  I  had  calculated  all  the  advantages 
before  incurring  this  additional  expense. 

The  next  day  I  called  on  Mr.  Stokes.  He  re 
ceived  me  cordially,  but  was,  of  course,  full  of 
business.  He  proposed,  however,  to  give  me  an 
interview  at  his  house  that  evening,  when  I  was 
to  open  up  the  subject  of  the  "  Hope  and  Anchor 
Mutual  Coal  Company." 

Accordingly,  about    eight    o'clock,   I  presented 


HENKY  POWERS,  BAKKER.  233 

myself  at  an  elegant  mansion  in  West  Thirty- 
fourth  Street. 

I  was  ushered  into  a  small  library  room, 
where  I  found  Mr.  Stokes  comfortably  smoking, 
while  reading  the  Evening  Post. 

He  welcomed  me  cordially,  and  offered  me  a 
cigar,  which  I  accepted,  and  which  proved  to  be 
of  the  choicest  description. 

After  some  general  conversation  about  the 
war  and  the  state  of  the  country,  I  commenced 
my  explanation.  I  went  minutely  into  the  mat 
ter,  and  explained  the  "  situation,"  without  re 
serve  or  keeping  back.  Finally  I  proposed  to 
put  the  whole  into  the  hands  of  his  house, 
with  such  favorable  arrangements  as  he  him 
self  should  consider  adequate  for  the  services 
rendered. 

"First,  you  want  twelve  thousand  dollars  to 
pay  for  the  contract  ?" 

"Yes." 

"  Then  sixty  thousand  dollars  for  the  first 
installment?" 


234:  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

«  Yes." 

"Then  how  much  for  opening  and  developing 
the  mines,  side  tracks,  cars,  &c.,  &c.,  <fcc.  ?" 

"A  comparatively  small  sum  would  do  at 
present,"  I  replied,  "besides  the  payments  would 
be  monthly." 

"That  makes  little  difference.  We  must 
count  it  as  something  to  be  raised  now." 

"  Well,  say   fifty  thousand   dollars  more." 

"And  the  railroad  through  the  property  not 
yet  finished?" 

"Not  quite.  It  will  be  in  operation  by  the 
first  of  January.  Quite  as  soon  as  we  shall  be 
able  to  avail  ourselves  of  it." 

"  First  of  January  means  first  of  March  or 
April,"  said  Mr.  Stokes. 

"Possibly." 

Thus  far,  the  great  broker  had  asked  me 
questions  with  little  or  no  comment.  They 
were  questions  which  I  expected,  and  which 
were  indeed  not  only  proper  but  necessary. 
Still  they  produced  the  impression  on  me  that 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  235 

I  should  not  succeed  in  my  application,  and 
what  is  more,  that  I  ought  not  to  succeed  in 
it. 

There  was  a  considerable  pause.  It  was 
broken  by  Mr.  Stokes. 

"Mr.  Powers,  let  me  say,  in  a  word,  that 
your  enterprise  is  not  yet  in  a  condition  for  us 
to  take  hold  of  it. 

"The  fact  is,"  he  continued,  "we  have  a  good 
many  constituents  who  depend  very  much  on 
us  in  such  an  affair,  and  to  whom  we  are  in  a 
measure  morally  responsible.  You  are  not  yet 
far  enough  along  with  the  Company.  Let  me 
advise  you  to  go  to  Dempsey  and  his  friends, 
and  let  them  advance  the  twelve  thousand  dol 
lars  and  get  rid  of  that  contract.  Or,  what  may 
perhaps  be  better  for  you,  advance  the  money 
yourself.  Then  contrive  some  way  to  clear  the 
land  of  any  lien  by  mortgage,  and  you  will 
have  a  '  case '  we  can  act  on.  The  stock  is 
pretty  severely  'watered,'  but  I  don't  mind 
that,  if  the  property  is  paid  for,  so  that  stock- 


236  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

holders  really  do  own  something  when  they  hold 
shares." 

"  I  was.  in  hopes,"  I  replied,  "  we  might  raise 
the  twelve  thousand  and  the  sixty  thousand 
through  you.  We  can  offer  very  great  in 
ducements.  Indeed,  I  say  frankly  we  expected 
to  meet  your  views.  We  appreciate  fully  the 
advantages  to  come  from  your  taking  the  mat 
ter  up. 

"Indeed,"  I  continued,  seeing  Mr.  Stokes  re 
mained  provokingly  silent,  "  excuse  me  for  say 
ing  that  I  was  induced  to  call  on  you  from  the 
few  words  you  dropped  the  other  day  in  the 
street." 

"True,  and  I  am  glad  you  allude  to  it,  for 
the  circumstance  had  escaped  my  memory.  You 
appear  to  me,  sir,"  he  continued,  "to  be  straight 
forward  and  ingenuous.  It  is  what  I  like.  Let 
me  tell  you  that  open  and  plain  dealing  will  help 
a  man  better  in  the  '  street '  than  any  circumlocu 
tion.  I  had  heard  of  this  enterprise,  and  knew 
several  of  the  trustees.  I  was  told  further  that 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  237 

Mr.  Worth  was  to  be  included  in  it.  If  it  had 
been  launched  with  no  debt,  as  I  supposed  it 
would  be,  I  was  ready  to  take  it  up — not 
otherwise." 

I  began  gradually  to  gather  a  better  im 
pression  of  Wall  Street  men.  "  Not  quite  so 
unscrupulous,"  I  said  to  myself,  "as  I  have  been 
led  to  believe.  At  least,  it  seems  there  are  some 
things  they  are  not  willing  to  do,  even  to  make 
money." 

I  know  what  Deams  would  have  said — 
namely:  "Stokes  has  too  much  at  stake  to  risk 
his  reputation  in  taking  up  a  doubtful  enter 
prise, — that  is  why  he  declines" 

I  sat  quite  silent  for  a  moment  or  two,  while 
Mr.  Stokes  continued  at  his  cigar.  At  length  I 
asked  him  if  he  could  recommend  any  house 
to  me,  who  would  be  likely  to  take  the  affair 
up. 

"I  do  not  think  any  first-class  house  will  do 
it ;  and  certainly,  with  those  names,  you  do  not 
want  to  expose  the  affair  to  second-rate  people. 


238  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

Follow  my  advice,  Mr.  Powers.  Take  your  time, 
and  get  the  whole  affair  well  into  shape.  The 
property  is  very  large,  and  the  reports  are  good, 
and,  as  I  have  said,  it  will  bear  diluting.  In 
the  mean  time,  keep  it  clean — let  none  of  the 
stock  get  out,  and  when  you  are  all  right  come 
to  me.  I  will  put  it  on  the  board,  and  it  shall 
go !  But  not  as  it  is  now,  not  in  its  present 
shape.  Glad  to  see  you  here.  Take  another 
cigar  as  you  go  out.  Stay,  a  glass  of  sherry  ? 
No  ?  Good  evening." 

Here  was  my  first  failure.  Never  mind,  I 
soliloquized,  I  have  learned  something  at  all 
events.  I  think  better  of  Stokes  than  I  did  be 
fore  I  called  on  him.  If  he  is  not  more  honest, 
he  is,  at  least,  more  wise  than  many  of  his  con* 
freres. 

Notwithstanding  my  encomiums  on  the  great 
broker,  I  felt  sorely  disappointed  at  the  result 
of  my  interview,  and  walked  slowly  homeward, 
in  no  enviable  state  of  mind. 

At   my   age   rebuffs    were    disheartening,   espe- 


HENKY   POWERS,  BANKEK.  239 

cially  when  they  came  from  a  respectable  quarter. 
I  had  not  then  learned  their  value  in  giving  the 
character  strength  by  producing  a  fresh  resist 
ance  and  energy. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

"  I  WILL  put  it  through,  though,"  were  the  first 
words  I  uttered  to  myself  the  next  morning  on 
waking.  "  I  WILL  put  it  through." 

Excited  by  the  intensity  of  my  resolution,  I 
di'essed  rapidly,  swallowed  my  coffee  and  toast  in 
haste,  and  proceeded  down  town  with  a  con 
science  less  scrupulous  than  on  the  previous  day. 

Mark  the  confession. 

There  are  various  ways  by  which  men  lapse 
slowly,  but  surely,  until  they  descend  quite  to  the 
standard  of  knaves.  Many  are  the  avenues  slo 
ping  gracefully  downward  to - 

Stay,  I  did  not  undertake  to  write  a  book  of 
moralizing.  I  am  to  record  simply  some  facts, 
yes,  facts  within  my  own  experience,  and  you, 
reader,  must  educe  the  moral,  which  always 
accompanies  truthi 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  24:1 

I  am  no  hero,  no  saint,  no  villain ;  but  simply 
a  successful  "Wall  Street"  man;  successful,  per 
haps,  where  many  would  have  failed ;  how,  and 
by  what  means  successful,  I  am  about  to  tell  you, 
without  comment  of  my  own, 

In  future,  then,  if  I  proceed  to  record  what 
strikes  you  as  not  quite  up  to  the  standard  of 
common  honesty,  you  need  not  infer  any  approval 
from  my  silence-,  any  more  than  you  would  take 
it  for  granted  I  condemn  a  good  action  because  I 
fail  to  applaud  it. 

With  this  understanding,  let  us  proceed. 

I  confess  I  did  not  feel  quite  ready  to  en 
counter  Deams  that  day.  I  knew  he  had  an 
extravagant  faith  in  what  I  could  accomplish, 
land  I  was  sorry  to  meet  him  while  still  some 
what  diminished  in  my  own  regard. 

However,  I  got  along  with  the  interview  with 
out  permitting  my  "  ancient "  to  lose  confidence 
in  his  chief. 

I  remarked  to  Deams  that  "  it  was  in  train ;" 

the   matter  was   looking  as  "  favorable  as  I  could 
11 


242  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

expect,"  (!)     and    I    should    report    as    soon    as    I 
required  his  services. 

"  What  a  fool  I  am,"  I  said,  after  Deams  had 
left  the  office,  "  what  a  fool  I  am.  Why  should 
I  assume  the  whole  burden,  when  we  have  men 
of  wealth  and  influence  in  our  board?  I  will 
call  on  these  gentlemen,  and  they  shall  aid  me 
to  float  the  Company.  They  must  each  do  some 
thing  toward  earning  their  ten  thousand  dollars 
of  stock." 

Inspired  by  this  new  thought,  I  went  to  the 
office  of  the  Antarctic  Iron  Mills,  of  which  large 
and  lucrative  concern  Mr.  Dempsey  was  the  head. 

I  found  him  very  busy,  and  it  was  with  diffi 
culty,  after  waiting  half  an  hour,  I  could  get  an* 
interview.     At  length,  however,  I  took  advantage 
of  a  favorable  opportunity  to  say  I  wished  a  few 
moments'  conversation  with  him. 

Mr.  Dempsey  received  me  very  kindly.  I 
found  him  amiable  in  his  general  demeanor,  and 
the  tone  in  which  he  requested  me  to  be  seated, 
impressed  me  so  favorably  that  I  felt  assured  that 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  243 

I  had  only  to  state  the  case,  in  order  to  receive 
his  hearty  support  and  co-operation. 

"  I  called  on  you  to  confer  about  the  Hope 
and  Anchor  Mutual  Coal  Company,"  I  said.  "My 
name  is  Powers.  I  am  one  of  the  trustees,  I — —" 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Powers,  Mr.  Henry  Powers,"  inter 
rupted  Mr.  Dempsey,  "  you  are  an  acquaintance 
of  my  good  friend  Mr.  Pope*  A  most  worthy 
person,  a  good  man,  a  really  good  man.  He  is 
indefatigable  in  our  church,  zealous  in  good 
works.  Yes,  he  gives  you  a  high  character,  I 
must  say,  a  very  high  character." 

I  bowed  in  acknowledgment  of  the  statement. 
The  announcement  that  I  was  indebted  to  the  lit 
tle  man  with  the  carroty  wig  and  goggle  eyes 
for  the  kind  appreciation  of  Mr.  Dempsey,  was 
not  altogether  to  my  taste. 

"  Any  one  coming  with  a  recommendation 
from  Mr.  Pope,*'  continued  Mr.  Dempsey,  "  is  en 
titled  to  a  hearing,  no  matter  how  much  engaged 
I  am.  I  hope  the  Company  is  well  under  way. 
Have  you  any  coal  in  yet?  I  was  told  by  a 


244  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

Mr. — ahem !  Mr. — Mr.  Learns,  I  think  was  his 
name — you  must  know  him,  by  the  way  —  your 
shipping  agent  at  Shawnee,  that  coal  would  be 
received  by  the  Company  in  the  course  of  the 
month,  and  it  is  now  the  25th. 

"Let  me  see,"  he  proceeded,  without  waiting 
for  any  reply,  "  let  me  see,  I  have  already  several 
orders  —  a  blessed  thing  to  serve  the  poor — here 
they  are.  I  was  going  to  send  them  down  to 
Mr.  Pope,  perhaps  you  will  do  me  the  favor  to 
take  them. 

"  Here  is  <  half  a  ton  to  No.  390  East  Street ;' 
'one  ton  No.  211  same  Street;'  'half  ton  No.  70 
Early  Street;'  all  these  I  will  pay  for  at  cost 
price  on  presentation  of  receipt  by  carman. 

"By  the  way,  I  told  Mr.  Pope  I  should  advise 
not  to  charge  any  cartage  to  the  poor.  Having 
so  many  in  your  employ  the  Company  won't  feel 
it,  and  the  poor  will,  don't  you  think  so  ?" 

I  bowed  again.  I  saw  I  was  in  deep  water; 
that  is,  utterly  ignorant  of  what  had  been  said 
to  Mr.  Dempsey,  to  induce  him  to  become 


HENEY  POWEKS,  BANKER.      245 

President,  although  Deams  had  professed  to  en 
lighten  me. 

I  say  "  in  deep  water,"  for  I  began  much  to 
fear  if  I  put  the  matter  before  him  as  I  had  pro 
posed,  Mr.  Dempsey  would  immediately  resign, 
and  thereupon  would  follow  an  entire  break-up  of 
the  whole  concern ;  all  caused  by  my  own  im 
prudence. 

There  was  a  brief  pause,  which  I  improved  by 
reaching  my  hand  for  the  valuable  coal  orders, 
and  by  bowing  again.  I  could  think  of  nothing 
I  dared  say. 

"  So  you  are  delivering  already  ?  Well,  that 
is  making  good  time,"  continued  Mr.  Dempsey. 

"We  are  in  hopes  you  will  look  in  daily  at 
the  Company's  offices,"  I  said,  perceiving  he 
waited  for  an  answer,  which  I  determined  not  to 
give.  "  You  pass  them  twice  a  day,  and  your 
presence,  even  for  a  moment,  will  help  to  give 
encouragement  to  our  plans." 

"  Oh,  your  plan  is  a  good  one,  a  good  one, 
really  and  truly.  I  am  satisfied  of  it,  or,  you 


24:6  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKEK. 

know,  I  could  not  consent  to  the  use  of  my 
name.  Beyond  that,  I  am  perfectly  positive  Mr. 
Pope  would  permit  nothing  which  is  not  honest. 
Besides,  he  speaks  well  of  you,  too,  and  you 
appear  to  be  an  active  man. 

"I  told  Mr.  Pope  I  would  come  whenever  any 
thing  was  actually  necessary  to  be  passed  on  by 
the  board;  that  will  be  seldom,  you  know;  the 
finance  committee,  of  which  Mr.  Pope  and  your 
self  make  two  out  of  three,  have  full  powers. 
You  see  I  have  looked  carefully  into  it." 

This  was  news  to  me.  It  turned  out  the  cun 
ning  Deams  had  had  the  meeting  for  organization 
before  consulting  me  at  all ;  had  passed  by-laws 
ready  made,  appointed  committees,  and  generally 
got  ready  for  action,  intending,  as  he  really  did, 
to  insure  my  co-operation  afterward. 

What  should  I  do?  Attempt  to  back  grace 
fully  out  of  the  interview,  content  with  doing  the 

Company   no    damage,  or   should  I   try   gently   to 

• 
accomplish  something. 

I  decided  on  the  latter  course. 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  247 

"Mr.  Dempsey,  we  have,  as  you  know,  a  lit 
tle  matter  of  twelve  thousand  dollars  to  raise,  and 
I  thought  it  would  be  best  for  a  few  of  us  to 
put  our  hands  in  our  pockets  and  make  a  finish 
of  it.  I  will  be  one  of  four  or  five  to  do  so,"  I 
continued,  stoutly. 

"  I  think  you  had  better  not  push  this,  Mr. 
Powers;  the  fact  is,  my  son-in-law  did  not  like 
the  idea  of  going  into  the  board,  and,  indeed, 
objected  to  my  taking  the  position  of  President. 
Our  friends,  Peters  and  Brokaw,  did  not  come 
in  very  willingly  either;  and  it  was  distinctly  un 
derstood  that  none  of  them  should  be  called  on 
for  money. 

"  I  fear,  if  you  should  put  the  matter  before 
them,  they  would  resign,  and  that  wouldn't  do ; 
that  wouldn't  do,  would  it? 

"  I  talk  to  you  frankly,"  continued  Mr.  Demp 
sey,  after  a  pause,  "  because  Mr.  Pope  gives  you 
such  an  excellent  character;  and,  in  fact,  I  like 
your  face.  You  look  to  me  like  an  honest  young 
man !" 


24:8  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

"An  honest  yowig  man!"  The  words  smote 
my  very  soul.  I  turned  red. 

"Do  not  be  discouraged,"  said  Mr.  Dempsey, 
kindly,  "but  keep  on  the  way  you  have  begun, 
and  the  Company  will  soon  be  in  an  easy  con 
dition.  Why  don't  you  just  advance  the  twelre 
thousand  dollars  yourself?  You  are  a  banker,  I 
am  told ;  advance  it  yourself.  I  dare  say  the 
next  ninety  days  will  see  you  reimbursed.  Come, 
now,  that  is  not  a  bad  suggestion,  is  it?" 

Mr.  Dempsey  smiled  pleasantly. 

I,  too,  smiled,  but  with  a  contortion  of  spirit 
badly  concealed,  I  fear,  by  the  outward  expres 
sion. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  I  committed 
myself  to  the  suggestion  of  the  worthy  Presi 
dent;  at  the  same  time,  I  did  not  tell  him  that 
it  was  impracticable.  On  the  contrary,  as  I  rose 
to  take  leave  of  him,  I  said  I  would  "  see  what 
could  be  done." 

"  Of  course  you  will,"  said  Mr.  Dempsey, 
grasping  my  hand  warmly,  "  and  it  will  all  come 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  249 

right  too.  I  see  it  in  your  eye.  Yes,  indeed ! 
Good  day,  good  day.  Drop  in  whenever  you 
can,  and — don't  forget  those  little  orders;  the 
weather  is  getting  cold,  and  the  poor  suffer — they 
suffer,  you  know,  when  frost  comes." 

I  know  I  "  suffered,"  as  I  quitted  the  place  of 

that  kind  and  simple-hearted  good  man. 

» 

As  I  walked  up  the  street  my  breast  was 
filled  with  conflicting  emotions.  I  was  half  in 
clined  to  go  back,  request  a  private  interview, 
give  Mr.  Dempsey  a  brief  history  of  my  career, 
expose  the  bubble  of  the  Coal  Company,  and  ask 
him  to  give  me  a  place  in  his  concern,  where  I 
could  make  myself  useful,  and  gradually  work  up 
to  a  superior  position. 

"I  shall  have  peace  of  mind  at  least,"  I  said 
to  myself;  "and " 

"  Hallo !  what  are  you  doing  in  this  quarter  ?"' 

It  was  the  voice  of  a  Wall  Street  acquaint 
ance,  a  young  man  of  wealth  and  position,  and 
prominent  in  affairs. 

He    was     standing    directly    opposite ;    but    I 
11* 


250  HEtfRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

had  not  noticed  it  in  my  abstracted  state  of 
mind. 

"What  are  you  doing  here  yourself?"  I  re 
plied,  adapting  my  own  manner  to  his. 

"I  am  going  to  the  office  of  the  Antarctic 
Works,  to  see  about  an  order  for  iron  that  we 
are  to  advance  on  when  delivered,"  he  replied, 
crossing  over  and  shaking  hands  with  me  at  the 
same  time. 

"By  the  way,  I  think  I  may  guess  where  you 
have  been.  Dempsey  is  President  of  your  Coal 
Company,  I  see.  You  could  not  have  a  better 
man.  I  received  your  prospectus  this  morning. 
It  looks  first-rate.  I  guess  you  have  got  a  good 
thing  there.  Good  day  !  " 

Here  it  was  again !  One  revulsion  succeeds 
another.  The  words  of  my  acquaintance  had  an 
intoxicating  effect  on  me. 

My  other  angel  whispered,  "Powers,  you  will 
learn  by  and  by  not  to  be  chicken-hearted.  Every 
body  thinks  well  of  this  scheme.  Why  not  think 
well  of  it  yourself?  As  to  these  four  eminent 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  251 

gentlemen  who  have  consented  to  act  as  trustees, 
why,  let  them  alone,  and  '  bank '  all  you  can  on 
their  reputation.  Meantime,  courage,  keep  trying 
and  the  right  man  will  be  found." 

I  walked  on  to  Deams's  office.  He  rose  as  I 
entered,  as  if  expecting  to  hear  some  very  good 
news. 

"  I  have  been  to  see  Mr.  Dempsey,"  I  said. 

"  Good  gracious  ! "  exclaimed  Deams,  sinking 
suddenly  back  in  his  chair,  as  if  prostrated  by 
the  intelligence.  "How  could  you  commit  such 
an  imprudence?" 

"What  do   you  mean?" 

"My  dear  Powers,  you  should  not  have  gone 
near  him  without  consulting  me." 

"I  discovered  as  much  very  soon.  In  one 
word,  there  is  no  harm  done.  I  did  not  come  to 
talk  about  that." 

"Well?" 

"Deams?" 

"What  is  it?" 


252  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

"We  must  commence  delivering  coal  to-mor 
row,  according  to  our  prospectus." 

"Bah,  don't  be  so  facetious." 

"I  am  not  joking,  I  am  only  carrying  out  the 
promise  made  by  our  shipping  agent  at  Shaw- 
nee." 

"Now  don't  be  severe  on  me,  Powers.  I  had 
to  make  the  promise.  Old  Dempsey  pushed  me 
so  hard  I  could  not  help  it." 

"It  is  quite  right,"  I  said,  "just  right.  Do 
you  go  at  once  to  Essex  and  Lee — they  are  the 
largest  coal-dealers  in  the  city — and  make  an  ar 
rangement  with  them  to  fill  any  orders  that  may 
come  in,  and  charge  us  the  wholesale  price.  I 
have  no  doubt  this  can  be  done  so  that  we  shall 
not  lose  more  than  fifty  cents  a  ton,  and  that 
we  must  manage  to  stand  somehow." 

"  Take  my  hat,"  said  Deams  in  great  glee. 
"You  are  worthy  of  it.  That  is  a  brilliant 
stroke  of  policy,  and  no  mistake.  I  wonder  I 
had  not  thought  of  it. 

"I     will    fix     the     matter    to-day,"     continued 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  253 

Deams,    energetically,    "  and   report   to    our    Presi 
dent  to-morrow." 

"The  sooner  the  better,  Deams." 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

THE  advertisement  that  the  Hope  and  Anchor 
Mutual  Coal  Company  were  ready  to  deliver  coal 
to  the  shareholders  at  cost,  created  considerable 
excitement  among  boarding-house  keepers  and 
economical  family  men.  A  score  of  melancholy- 
eyed  women  presented  themselves  at  the  attract 
ive  counter  of  Masterman,  Coldbrook  &  .  Pope, 
each  eager  to  secure  a  winter  supply  of  coal  for 
her  establishment. 

Small  men  with  large  families  crowded  the1 
passage-way,  all  anxious  for  coal  at  cost. 

Somehow  most  of  them  were  under  the  im 
pression  that  it  was  sufficient  to  be  a  stock 
holder — that  is,  the  owner  of  one  share,  price  five 
dollars — to  enable  them  to  receive  all  the  coal 
they  should  desire;  and  they  were  greatly  dis 
gusted  when  informed  by  little  Mr,  Pope  that 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  255 

they  could  have  one  ton  at  cost  only  for  every 
share  of  stock  subscribed  and  paid  for. 

Meanwhile,  the  advertisements  were  continued 
in  the  daily  papers,  attracting  much  attention. 

Leaving  to  Masterman,  Coldbrook  &  Pope 
the  management  of  the  various  applicants  for 
coal  at  cost,  and  to  Deams  the  delivery  of  coal 
to  the  poor  (an  extraordinary  employment  that 
for  Deams),  I  bent  all  my  energies  to  the  task 
of  securing  some  one  to  take  up  our  Company. 

Day  after  day  went  by  and  found  me  no 
nearer  my  object.  I  had  applied  to  two  or  three 
different  brokers  of  the  first  class,  but  without 
success.  Stokes  was  right  when  he  told  me  I 
would  find  no  such  men  to  undertake  it  as  it 
then  stood. 

It  is  true  I  did  not  commit  myself  to  expla 
nations  as  fully  as  I  had  to  him.  I  had  grown 
more  wary  and  discriminating;  but  I  said  enough, 
and  ascertained  enough,  to  be  satisfied  my  case 
was  hopeless. 

I  think  at  this  time  I  should   have  abandoned 


256  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

the  scheme,  so  weary  was  I  with  it  and  with 
its  repulsive  surroundings,  had  I  not  overtaken 
Mary  Worth  one  day  as  I  was  walking  homeward. 

I  slackened  my  pace  as  I  came  up,  irresisti 
bly  impelled  to  do  so  by  the  desire  to  linger 
near  her. 

She  was  in  company  with  a  gentleman,  a  rich 
young  New- York  blood,  who  had  nothing  to  do 
but  to  dress  and  drive,  and  be  agreeable  to  the 
ladies. 

I  had  frequently  heard  Bellamy's  name  in 
connection  with  Miss  Worth's  as  her  admirer, 
'if  not  her  accepted  suitor.  I  did  not  credit  the 
reports,  for,  with  all  my  doubts  and  fears,  I 
could  not  make  myself  believe  he  was  at  all  to 
her  taste. 

A  pang  of  jealousy,  notwithstanding,  darted 
through  me  as  I  saw  the  two  sauntering  leisurely 
along  the  grand  promenade  that  fine  October 
afternoon;  he  all  gallantry  and  devotion,  she  re 
ceiving  his  attentions  as  it  seemed  to  me,  witli 
an  interested  air. 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  257 

I  thought  at  first  I  would  pass  rapidly  along 
without  appearing  to  notice  her;  but  I  was 
ashamed  of  such  weakness,  and  as  we  met,  I 
turned  and  saluted  her  with  politeness  but  with 
my  accustomed  formality. 

Could  I  be  mistaken  ?  Was  the  wish  father 
to  the  thought?  It  seemed,  positively  it  seemed, 
as  her  eyes  fell  upon  me,  that  she  perceived  my 
pained  look  (for  I  could  not  have  concealed  it), 
and  cast  on  me  a  glance,  which  said,  as  I 
thought,  "  you  -need  not  feel  alarmed,  I  am  mere 
ly  amusing  myself.  I  don't  care  for  him  a  bit." 

Perhaps  it  was  in  my  imagination,  but  it  sent 
the  blood  dancing  through  my  veins. 

I  went  into  a  shop  and  purchased  some  tri 
fling  article,  so  as  to  give  them  an  opportunity 
to  go  by  me.  I  confess  it.  I  wished  to  take 
another  look  at  Mary  Worth. 

I  stopped  and  gazed  after  her.  I  looked  at 
the  miserable  fop — so  I  was  ready  to  call  him — 
who  was  walking  at  her  side.  What  right  had 
such  a  jackanapes  to  be  rolling  in  wealth,  and 


258  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

enjoying  all  that  is  desirable  on  this  earth,  while 
I,  his  superior  every  way,  was  slaving  on  in  this 
degrading  manner? 

With  clinched  hands  and  set  teeth  I  pursued 
my  way. 

The  next  morning  brought  a  new  plan  and  a 
new  party  to  light. 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

JUST  around  the  corner  of  Wall  Street,  in 
William,  near  Exchange  Place,  is  a  large  build 
ing  filled  with  offices. 

These  rooms  are  occupied  by  brokers,  money 
lenders,  railroad  companies,  speculators,  and  law 
yers. 

It  would  be  curious  if,  Asmodeus-like,  we 
could  take  off  the  roofs  that  cover  the  heads  of 
all  the  different  occupants  of  this  same  building, 
and  witness  the  b^sy  workings  of  their  brain.  It 
would  present  H  ritrange  mixture,  interesting  to 
the  student  and  the  philosopher,  but  conveying 
no  veiy  new  impression  to  the  denizen  of  the 
"Street,"  who  is  already  entirely  familiar  with  the 
subject  in  every  possible  phase. 

There  is  a  small  room  in  this  building-fur 
nished  with  a  plain  pine  table,  a  large  and  ex- 


260  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

pensive  safe  of  the  best  make,  an  arm-chair,  and 
an  old  sofa. 

A  small  tin  sign,  on  which  is  painted  "  J. 
STTKES,"  announces  correctly  the  name  of  the 
tenant. 

Every  one  knows  John  Stykes,  so  it  is 
scarcely  necessary  for  me  to  describe  him.  How- 
ever,  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  do  not  reside 
in  New  York,  I  will  say  that  he  is  a  man  a  little 
past  middle  age,  with  delicately  curved  features, 
a  finely  chiseled  Roman  nose,  large  gray  eyes, 
and  pale  face,  almost  approaching  the  cadaverous. 
His  hair  is  jet  black,  his  height  medium,  his  per 
son  slender. 

A  remarkable  man  in  appearance;  indeed,  you 
would  say  an  interesting  one.  There  is  nothing 
disagreeable  in  his  manner  or  conversation.  He 
is  well-educated  and  well-informed;  and  with  his 
family  goes  into  the  best  society,  where  he  spends 
money  without  stint. 

In  a  sense,  this  man  is  trustworthy,  never 
breaking  a  promise,  and  always  living  up  to  his 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  261 

agreement.  But  he  is  unscrupulous  in  carrying 
out  his  plans,  and  ready  and  quick  to  take  ad 
vantage  of  the  weakness  of  another's  position. 
Exorbitant  in  his  claims,  he  is  pitiless  and  re 
morseless  to  any  one  in  his  power. 

Exacting,  unrelenting,  cold,  he  sits  and  takes 
in,  not  with  his  ear,  as  it  would  seem,  but  rather 
with  his  large  serpent  eye,  all  that  you  say  to 
him.  Then  he  replies  quietly  and  in  measured 
tones,  and  from  what  he  says  you  need  make  no 
appeal. 

This  man  deals  in  money,  and  in  operations 
which  require  the  immediate  use  of  money.  As 
I  have  described  him  as  he  is  now,  so  he  was 
at  the  time  of  my  engaging  in  the  Hope  and 
Anchor  Company. 

To  this  man  I  resolved  to  go  ! 

I  had  seen  him  two  or  three  times,  in  the 
office  of  an  intimate  acquaintance,  and  was,  to  an 
extent,  fascinated  by  his  peculiar  appearance  and 
conversation. 

I  soon   gathered  the   particulars  which  I  have 


262  HENKY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

given  to  the  reader,  and  which  no  one  will  ven 
ture  to  contradict. 

I  met  Mr.  Stykes  once  shortly  after  my  return 
from  Long  Branch. 

He  came  into  the  place  where  I  Was  taking 
lunch  with  a  friend.  Two  or  three  were  speak 
ing  of  my  adventure,  and  passed  many  enco 
miums  on  what  they  were  pleased  to  call  my 
heroism. 

Just  then  I  happened  to  raise  my  eyes  and 
encountered  those  of  Stykes,  who  had  entered 
quietly,  and  was  a  silent  listener  to  the  conver 
sation. 

\ 

I  can    scarcely   say  why,   but    it    sent   a   chill 

through  me  to  look  at  him.  If  any  expression 
could  be  gained  from  his  countenance,  it  was  one 
of  subdued  contempt. 

The  moment  he  saw  I  was  looking  at  him, 
however,  he  changed  his  position,  and  asked  in 
an  indifferent  tone :  "  Did  you  know  whom  you 
were  rescuing  ?" 

"  No,"  I  replied. 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  263 

"Indeed,"  lie  said,  and  the  subject  was 
dropped. 

In  accordance  with  my  resolution,  I  called  on 
Mr.  Stykes.  I  found  him  in  his  office  alone,  care 
fully  scrutinizing  a  document  which  he  held  in 
his  hand. 

He  looked  up  as  I  entered,  and  nodded  to  me 
in  token  of  recognition. 

"  Mr.  Stykes,"  I.  said,  "  I  want  a  half-hour's 
conversation  with  you." 

"On  what  subject?" 

"  About  the  Hope  and  Anchor  Mutual  Coal 
Company." 

"  I  don't  advance  money  to  new  companies." 

"  I  know  it.  I  don't  want  you  to  advance 
money.  I  want  a  half-hour's  talk  with  you.  irou 
can  probably  tell  in  five  minutes  whether  you 
wish  me  to  proceed  or  not." 

"  Are  you  an  early  man  ?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Call   in   to-morrow   morning  at  nine  o'clock." 


264  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

"  Good-day." 

Mr.  Stykes  vouchsafed  no  response  to  my 
parting  salutation.  I  was  content,  however. 

The  rest  of  the  day  I  devoted  to  a  care 
ful  consideration  of  the  position  I  was  in,  and  of 
how  best  to  approach  the  subtle  man  of  money. 

As  the  result  of  my  cogitations,  I  had  to  ad 
mit  to  myself,  that  in  the  combat  of  wits  which 
was  to  come  off,  Mr.  Stykes  had  the  advantage 
every  way.  He  was  older,  richer,  more  cunning, 
and  more  unscrupulous  than  I.  Besides,  I  was 
the  seeker,  not  he. 

What  should  I  do  ?  How  should  I  manage  ? 
That  was  the  question. 

On  due  deliberation  I  resolved  not  to  man 
age  at  all,  but  tell  Stykes  the  whole  story  and 
give  him  at  the  start  the  making  of  the  terms 
which  in  the  end  he  was  sure  to  dictate. 

Precisely  at  nine  o'clock  I  was  at  his 
office. 

Not  to  tire  the  reader  with  repetition,  I 
will  only  say  that  I  gave  Mr.  Stykes  a  minute 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  265 

and  faithful  account  of  the  Hope  and  Anchoi 
enterprise ;  so  minute  and  faithful  that,  when  I 
had  concluded,  he  knew  as  much  about  it  as  J 
did. 

I  wound  up  as  follows:  "Now,  Mr.  Stykes, 
are  you  willing  to  take  the  thing  up,  and  oil 
what  terms?" 

During  the  recital,  Mr.  Stykes'  large  stone 
eyes  were  slowly  rolling  so  as  to  take  in  my 
whole  person,  my  face  being  his  central  point. 
In  spite  of  me,  it  seemed  as  if  I  were  under 
going  a  certain  anaconda  process  preparatory 
to  being  swallowed  whole,  along  with  my  Coal 
Company. 

"You  think  the  coal  is  there?"  said  Mr. 
Stykes  after  a  long  silence. 

"Yes." 

"It  probably  is  there,"  he  continued,  as  if 
thinking  aloud,  "  the  Shawnee  region  is  a  good 
one." 

Another  long  pause,  which  I  did  not  inter 
rupt. 

12 


266  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

At  length  Mr.  Stykes  spoke.  "I  will  do 
this,"  he  said. 

"In  the  first  place  I  must  be  satisfied  about 
the  property.  The  reports  of  Quartz  and  Silex 
I  would  not  give  a  fig  for.  They  are  eminent, 
scientific  men ;  but  I  can  buy  a  report  from 
every  scientific  man  in  America  for  a  thousand 
dollars  a  piece. 

"  I  say  I  will  do  this ;  I  will  take  my  own 
lawyer  and  my  own  miner,  and  visit  the  prop 
erty;  if  I  am  satisfied  with  it,  I  will  pay  the 
twelve  thousand  dollars  you  are  in  such  want  of, 
and  set  the  Company  in  motion.  The  stock  shall 
att  be  placed  in  my  hands,  and  put  under  my 
lock  and  key.  I  shall  operate  with  it  just  as  I 
please.  In  fact,  control  it  entirely.  Two  hundred 
thousand  dollars  of  it  shall  be  transferred  to 
some  one  I  shall  indicate  for  my  own  account. 
The  Company's  shares  I  shall  have  the  right  to 
operate  with,  holding  myself  responsible  to  the 
Company  for  the  stock  or  its  proceeds.  The 
cash  payments  you  and  your  friends  must  waive. 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  267 

I  shall  doubtless  be  obliged  to  advance  the 
sixty  thousand  dollars,  and  take  a  mortgage  on 
the  property  from  the  Company.  The  present 
Board  must  hold  their  places.  I  will  pay  the 
expenses  of  the  office — that  is,  rent,  clerk-hire, 
and  petty  incidentals ;  and  will  take  the  furni 
ture  at  a  valuation,  if  you  desire. 

"  Further,"  continued  Mr.  Stykes,  as  he  per 
mitted  his  eye  to  settle  on  me,  while  it  assumed, 
I  will  not  say  a  softer,  but  a  less  hard  expres 
sion, — "  further,  a  thousand  dollars  cash  for  your 
self,  for  your  agency  in  the  matter. 

"Think  this  over,"  said  Mr.  Stykes,  rising  as 
if  to  put  an  end  to  further  conversation,"  and  let 
me  have  your  decision  at  this  hour  to-morrow*" 

I  went  out  from  the  presence  of  the  man, 
feeling  quite  satisfied  that  the  process  had  been 
thoroughly  completed  with  me,  I  couldn't  pre 
cisely  explain  how.  I  felt  assured  that  all 
chance  of  realizing  beyond  exactly  what  he 
promised  would  terminate  on  the  acceptance  of 
his  proposition. 


268  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

I  proceeded  immediately  to  Deams's   office. 

"It  is  all  up   with  us,"   I  said. 

Deams  was  in  great  terror. 

"  I  have  done  my  best,  Deams,  and  I  can  not 
float  the  Company." 

"What  is  the  matter?  What  has  hap 
pened  ?" 

"  Nothing  at  all,  except  that  I  am  unable  to 
carry  out  the  scheme ;  but  I  tell  you  what  I 
can  do,  Deams;  I  can  sell  out  to  John  Stykes 
and  get  the  twelve  thousand  dollars,  and  a  thou 
sand  dollars  besides  for  ourselves." 

"Magnificent  !  Splendid  !"  cried  Deams. 
"  What  did  you  want  to  frighten  me  so,  for  ? 
So  Stykes  is  to  take  it.  What  is  to  become 
of  all  our  stock  ?" 

"We  hold  it  the  same  as  under  the  old  plan, 
but  it  is  to  be  all  under  lock  and  key  till  money 
is  raised  for  the  Company." 

"  Why  that's  'honest ;  that's  right,"  said 
Deams,  "that's  the  way  it  should  be.  If  Stykes 
takes  hold  of  it,  it  will  go,  and  our  shares  will 


HENRY   POWEKS,  BANKER.  269 

be  worth  par  in  time.  How  about  the  yearly 
payments  after  the  first  sixty  thousand?" 

"Wiped   out." 

"  I  thought  as  much,"  said  Deams,  "  I  only 
put  it  in  as  a  flyer.  Powers,  I  always  said  you 
were  a  trump,  and  you  have  proved  it.  It  is 
not  everybody  that  could  have  got  hold  of 
John  Stykes  as  you  have " 

"I  thought  when  I  was  with  him  that  he 
had  got  hold  of  me." 

Deams  laughed.  "  You  are  a  good  deal  of 
a  wag.  Come,  let  us  have  lunch.  I  think  I 
can  go  a  bottle  of  champagne  on  this  morn 
ing's  news.  We  will  take  it  quietly  over  at 
Hinkley's,  and  you  can  then  go  into  particu 
lars." 

It  is  only  necessary  for  me  to  observe  that 
Deams  was  more  than  satisfied  with  the  result 
of  my  efforts.  Cash  in  hand  was  all  he  wanted 
— much  or  little,  and  the  sum  he  was  to  re 
ceive  was  quite  unprecedented  in  his  later  ex 
perience. 


270  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

From  some  expressions  which  fell  from  him, 
I  was  satisfied  he  had  had  very  little  confidence 
in  the  affair,  and  that  he  really  regarded  it  as 
a  passing  scheme  to  raise  the  wind.  However, 
I  forgave  him  for  attempting  to  play  on  my 
credulity,  since  he  did  not  succeed,  at  least  to 
any  extent. 

On  separating,  I  extorted  a  promise  that  he 
would  scrupulously  follow  my  directions  in  every 
thing  relating  to  the  Company.  I  told  him  not 
to  count  his  chickens  before  they  were  hatched, 
since  all  depended  on  Stykes'  personal  examina 
tion  of  the  property ;  and  meantime  he  must 
be  careful  not  to  speak  to  any  one  on  the  sub 
ject. 

I    did   not    close   my   eyes   that  night. 

It  seemed  as  if  I  had  made,  as  it  were, 
providentially,  a  great  escape.  I  could  now  see 
clearly  on  what  a  frail  basis  I  was  about  to 
risk  all  that  I  had,  namely,  my  reputation. 
Yes,  reputation  was  after  all  dear  to  me,  when 
it  came  to  the  test.  More  dear  to  me,  per- 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  271 

haps,   because    if   not    established,   it   was   not   as 
yet  tarnished. 

"What  if  the  property  is  not  satisfactory? 
What  if  the  titles  prove  defective?" 

The  very  thought  made  me  hold  my  breath. 
"  I  will  not  indulge  in  forebodings.  I  will  ac 
cept  Mr.  Stykes'  proposition  at  nine  o'clock  to 
morrow  morning  sharp,  and  leave  the  future  to 
my  good  angel — Mary  Worth!" 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

THE  next  day,  and  punctual  -to  the  moment, 
I  was  at  Mr.  Stykes*  little  office  in  William 
Street. 

He  was  deeply  occupied  as  usual,  but  laid 
aside  his  papers  as  I  entered,  and  waited  for 
me  to  announce  my  acceptance  or  refusal  of  his 
offer. 

"Mr.  Stykes,"  I  said,  "I  accede  to  the  terms 
you  offer,  with  one  very  slight  exception." 

"What  is  it?" 

"  You  stipulate  to  have  the  board  remain  as 
it  is.  I  agree,  mainly,  to  that.  I  am  a  mem 
ber.  My  name  brings  no  sort  of  influence  with 
it,  as  you  know.  I  must  insist  on  withdraw 
ing  it.  You  may  put  a  man  of  your  own 
choosing  in  my  place." 

Mr.   Stykes  looked    me   steadily    in    the    face, 


HENKY  POWERS,  BANKER.  273 

his  eye,  always  slowly  moving,  yet  firm  on  its 
axis. 

I  returned  his  look  with  one  sharp  and  de 
cisive. 

For  an  instant  Mr.  Stykes  permitted  a  ray 
of  appreciative  intelligence  to  escape  him ;  the 
next  moment  he  had  settled  again  into  his 
natural  appalling  indifference. 

"  As  you  like,"  he  replied,  "  it  is  a  matter 
of  no  consequence  to  me." 

"  When  will  you  have  finished  your  exam 
ination  ?"  I  asked. 

"In    a  week." 

"  You  will  then  be  ready  to  conclude  the 
arrangements  ?" 

"If  all  things   prove   satisfactory,   yes." 


I  had  great  difficulty  during  those  seven 
days  in  restraining  Deams.  In  spite  of  his 
promise  to  me,  he  was  constantly  on  the  point 
of  betraying  that  something  immensely  important 

12* 


274:  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

was  about  to  happen.  The  pompous  airs  he  as 
sumed,  the  petty  debts  he  incurred,  and  the 
lofty  contempt  for  trifles  he  exhibited,  were 
very  ludicrous. 

At  length  the  day  arrived  when  I  was  to 
receive  Mr.  Stykes'  answer. 

I  confess  it  was  not  without  a  degree  of 
trepidation  that  I  mounted  the  stairs,  and  en 
tered  his  room. 

My  pulse  beat  fast  as  I  said,  "  Good  morn 
ing."  It  was  in  a  rapid  manner — too  rapid  and 
off  guard  as  I  now  recollect,  that  I  enunciated, 
— "  I  have  called  to  learn  the  result  of  your 
investigation." 

"It  is  satisfactory.  Sit  down.  I  have  pre 
pared  a  memorandum  of  what  I  wish  done  for 
your  own  government,  and  which  comes  within 
the  scope  of  my  offer.  Let  all  the  papers  be 
sent  to  Izzy,  Quincy  Court ;  he  will  prepare 
what  I  wish  signed.  Then  let  your  people  make 
the  transfer  of  the  contract  to  the  Company,  and 
the  twelve  thousand  dollars  are  ready. 


HEHRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  275 

"I  will  take  the  Company's  obligation  for  that 
amount,  payable  from  the  first  receipts  of  sale 
of  the  Company's  shares. 

"I   shall   communicate   with   you  only. 

"Let  the  board  be  called  together,  and  make 
your  own  explanations  in  your  own  way,  but 
carry  out  this  (putting  his  finger  on  the  paper) 
in  every  particular.  When  you  are  ready,  I 
am." 

"Who  do  you  propose  shall  take  my  place 
at  the  board?" 

"  You   will  not   remain  ?" 

"No." 

"You  may  serve  your  own  interests  by  stay 
ing  in." 

"I  have   decided  to   resign." 

Mr.  Stykes  took  a  narrow  slip  of  pap©*', 
wrote  the  name  of  an  individual  I  never  heard 
of,  and  added  his  address,  which  was  in  a 
fashionable  quarter  of  the  city,  and  handed  me 
the  slip. 

"  Not  in   business  ?"  I  said. 


276  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

"No!    retired." 


I  need  not  tell  you,  reader,  that  I  set  my 
self  with  energy  to  the  work  of  carrying  out 
the  programme  which  Mr.  Stykes  had  pre 
pared. 

I  could  not  but  notice  it  was  strictly  in 
accordance  with  the  terms  verbally  expressed  to 
me. 

To  Deams  I  left  the  labor  of  explanation. 

I  never  inquired,  and  I  never  permitted  him 
to  tell  me  what  representations  he  made,  what 
arguments  he  used,  or  what  inducements  he 
held  out. 

Suffice  it  to  say,  all  went  smoothly  at  the 
"Board."  I  resigned,  and  "  Elias  Ashley"  was 
unanimously  chosen  in  my  place. 

As  I  left  the  room,  Mr.  Dempsey  shook  me 
cordially  by  the  hand. 

"We  dislike  much  to  part  with  you,"  he 
said,  "but  we  quite  understand  how  you  can 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.      277 

be  of  more  service  to  us  in  your  new  career,  if 
you  are  not  a  member  of  our  board." 

His  words  were  "  Greek"  to  me.  I  did  not 
comprehend  what  he  meant,  and  have  never  dis 
covered  since. 

I  said  not  one  word  in  reply.  I  only  smiled, 
and  bowing  my  adieu,  I  left  the  office  of  the 
Hope  and  Anchor  Mutual  Coal  Company  forever. 

Of  the  twelve  thousand  dollars,  the  share  of 
Deams  and  myself  was  three  thousand — fifteen 
hundred  dollars  apiece.  The  thousand  dollars 
which  I  had  from  Stykes,  I  divided  with  Deams, 
and  received  from  him  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  so  long  due,  and  immediately  paid  my 
debt  to  my  friend  Holman. 

Next  I  removed  my  quarters  from  the  mod 
erate  boarding-house  I  was  living  at  to  the  sixth 
story  of  the  Grand  Avenue  Hotel. 

This  was  from  no  sudden  impulse  or  foolish 
regard  for  appearances. 

I  was  determined  to  change  all  my  associa 
tions,  and  in  future  frequent  the  society  of  people 


278  HENRY  POWERS,   BANKER. 

who  had  money,  and  avoid  all  poor  devils,  at 
least,  till  I  was  in  a  situation  to  afford  to  keep 
company  with  them,  should  I  desire  to  do  so. 

For  the  rest  I  was  careful  and  economical  in 
my  habits,  and  resolved  that  the  inroads  on  my 
two  thousand  dollars  should  be  as  light  and  in 
frequent  as  possible. 

I  was  fully  determined  before  this  sum  should 
be  expended,  to  find  my  way  into  some  respecta 
ble  occupation,  or  quit  the  city. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

ALTHOUGH  forming  no  part  of  my  personal 
history  or  experience,  you  may  very  naturally  de 
sire  to  know  what  became  of  the  well-known 
Coal  Company  which  I  have  heretofore  introduced 
to  you. 

Your  reasonable  curiosity  shall  be  gratified. 

You  will  please  bear  in  mind  that  the  actual 
sum  to  be  paid  the  proprietor,  Grover  P.  Wilcox, 
for  the  coal  lands,  was  sixty  thousand  dollars. 

The  price  was  really  very  low,  but  the  terms 
were  imperative — cash. 

In  vain  Deams  had  attempted  to  procure  a 
credit  of  one  year. 

Therefore,  so  long  as  the  sixty  thousand  re 
mained  unpaid,  the  Company  could  receive  no 
deed,  and  had,  literally,  nothing  to  rest  upon. 

The    first    thing    which    was    done    under    the 


280  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

Stykes  administration  (not  that  he  ever  appeared 
in  any  thing  which  was  going  forward),  was  the 
execution  of  a  mortgage  by  the  Company  to  this 
same  Grover  P.  Wilcox,  for  the  sixty  thousand 
dollars,  payable  in  six  months. 

This  mortgage  was  taken  to  Mr.  Wilcox,  and 
along  with  it  the  money  for  the  lands,  with  the 
request  that  he  would  convey  the  lands  to  the 
Company,  and  transfer  the  mortgage  to  John 
Stykes  of  the  City  of  New  York. 

This  was  all  very  natural  and  proper,  and 
Mr.  Wilcox  complied. 

Then  began  the  great  season  of  prosperity  for 
the  "Hope  and  Anchor!" 

Gradually  it  found  its  way,  as  it  would  seem, 
by  sheer  force  of  merit  on  the  stock  list.  A 
transfer-clerk  was  added  to  the  establishment — 
one  of  Stykes's  appointing. 

That  gentleman  having  purchased  the  furni 
ture  which  adorned  the  offices  of  Masterman,  Cold- 
brook  &  Pope,  and  taken  the  assignment  of  their 
lease,  intimated  in  due  time  to  them  by  one  of 


HENRY  POWEES,  BANKER.  281 

his  mysterious  agents  (as  I  have  said  he  never 
acted  in  person),  that  the  Coal  Company  would 
require  all  the  room  for  its  legitimate  business, 
and  it  would  be  advisable  for  them  to  remove 
their  "  banking-house "  to  another  quarter. 

Mr.  Stykes,  however,  insisted  on  their  remain 
ing  in  the  board.  Indeed  he  could  not  dispense 
with  Mr.  Pope's  services  as  secretary,  only  he 
proposed  to  hire  a  competent  young  man  to  do 
the  drudgery  of  writing  up  the  records,  preparing 
new  certificates,  and  so  forth. 

Mr.  Masterman  was  inclined  to  resist — the 
idea  of  his  resisting  John  Stykes  ! 

On  this  occasion  his  friend  Deams  did  not 
stand  by  him.  On  the  contrary,  after  some  hot 
words,  Deams  told  him  he  had  been  very  well 
paid  for  his  services,  and,  indeed,  more  than 
paid,  that  he  very  well  knew  it,  and  he  need  not 
attempt  to  humbug  him — the  virtuous  Deams  ! 

Masterman  left  the  premises  in  a  huff,  and 
immediately  resigned  his  office  as  treasurer.  It 
was  filled  by  Elias  Ashley. 


282  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER. 

Mr.  Pope,  on  his  part,  was  delighted.  Neither 
he  nor  Coldbrook  ever  relished  their  new  posi 
tion,  or  the  honors  attending  it.  Besides,  it 
really  interfered  with  their  business,  which  they 
were  tempted  to  neglect. 

They  had  now  got  well  out  of  the  furniture 
question,  and  had  made  a  little  ready  money,  and 
they  had  no  wish  to  prolong  their  connection 
with  Masterman.  So  the  eminent  and  highly  re 
spectable  "  banking-house "  went  into  liquidation. 

It  owed  nothing — Masterman  had  tried  in 
vain  to  run  in  debt  on  its  reputation — and  it 
consequently  had  to  pay  nothing. 

Messrs.  Pope  and  Coldbrook  returned  to  their 
respective  employments,  content  in  the  future  to 
labor  there.  Mr.  Pope,  however,  called  daily  at 
the  office  of  the  "Hope  and  Anchor"  (he  was 
under  a  small  salary),  to  sign  his  name  as  secre 
tary  to  whatever  was  necessary. 

This  was  to  propitiate  -Mr.  Dempsey,  for  so 
long  as  he  was  content,  his  friends  in  the  board 
naturally  would  remain  so, 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  283 

At  length,  "Hope  and  Anchor"  became  ac 
tive.  It  was  noticed  regularly  in  the  money  arti 
cles  of  the  daily  papers,  and  occasionally  would 
appear  an  additional  line  in  recommendation  of 
the  "Mutual  plan." 

But  nothing  like  a  "  puff"  was  anywhere  per 
mitted.  All  was  dignified  and  decorous,  and 
very  much  above  board. 

Finally,  the  Independent  took  the  Company  up, 
and  its  triumph  was  complete. 

It  was  a  very  cold  winter,  and  through  the 
whole  of  it,  the  request  of  any  respectable  citizen 
for  delivery  of  small  quantities  of  coal  to  any 
poor  person  at  cost,  was  promptly  complied 
with. 

I  do  not  think,  however,  there  were  many 
subscriptions  for  shares  received  at  the  office. 
People  were  referred  to  Eppis,  Ippis,  and  Oppis 
(the  largest  stock-brokers  in  the  Street,  as  every 
body  knows),  who  now  had  entire  charge  of  the 
Company's  operations. 

It  was   curious   to   witness  the    fluctuations   in 


284:  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

this  famous  stock,  and  how  it  went  up  and  how 
it  went  down,  and  how  it  went  up  again. 

There  were  rumors  of  a  corner,  and  everybody 
stood  from  under.  The  gate  was  opened  again, 
and  everybody  rushed  in.'  Indeed,  "Hope  and 
Anchor"  was  in  every  one's  mouth.  It  was  the 
talk  of  the  clubs,  and  the  main  topic  of  conver 
sation  in  the  salons  It  was  even  dealt  in  during 
the  evening  in  the  hall  of  the  Grand  Avenue 
Hotel. 

Never  was  there  such  a  favorite  stock  with 
the  brokers. 

Meantime,  Mr.  Stykes  made  regular  formal  re 
ports  of  his  operations  to  the  Company.  Now  the 
twelve  thousand  dollars  had  been  repaid  to  him. 

That  was  well. 

Next  came  the  construction  account.  No 
money  must  be  spared  to  put  the  property  in 
good  working  condition,  and  at  once. 

All  agreed  to  that. 

At  the  end  of  the  year,  another  report  set 
forth  that  at  least  a  hundred  thousand  dollars 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  285 

had  been  expended,  and  well  expended  in  de 
veloping  the  mine,  which  sum  had  been  realized 
by  sale  of  the  Company's  shares  at  par. 

This  was  certainly  very  promising;  what  could 
be  more  promising? 

Meanwhile,  mark  you,  the  mortgage  for  sixty 
thousand  dollars  stood  against  the  property  and 
improvements,  and  that  mortgage  was  owned  by 
John  Stykes. 

Affairs  went  on  very  prosperously  through  the 
winter  and  spring. 

As  summer  approached,  and  the  dull  season 
began,  there  suddenly  came  a  contraction  in  the 
money  market 

Along  with  this  were  painful  rumors  about 
the  "  Hope  and  Anchor." 

Some  said  the  Company  had  a  large  mortgage 
debt,  which  was  now  pressing  against  it ;  others, 
that  it  had  foolishly  indulged  in  speculation  in  its 
own  stock ;  others  hinted  at  an  over-issue,  while 
others  still  declared  they  never  had  had  any  con 
fidence  in  it  whatever! 


2  $6  HENKY  POWEES,  BANKER. 

Down  went  the  shares. 

Down  went  Jones,  and  Robinson,  and  Smith, 
and  Thompson,  and  Brown,  and  Green,  who  had 
each  embarked  his  little  shallop  on  the  apparently 
smooth  sea  of  the  "  Hope  and  Anchor." 

"Why  don't  some  one  call  a  meeting  of  the 
creditors,"  said  Jones,  "  and  show  up  the  rascally 
swindle  !" 

Alas,  there  were  no  creditors.  John  Stykes 
was  too  shrewd  an  operator  for  that. 

But  the  stockholders?  Why  not  call  an  in 
dignation  meeting  of  the  stockholders?"  said  Rob 
inson,  in  a  despairing  tone. 

Everybody  in  the  Street  smiled  when  Robinson 
said  this,  and  asked  him  how  many  shares  he 
had. — He  had  just  fifty  at  five  dollars ! 

In  fact  there  was  not  so  very  much  stock 
afloat  after  all.  Stykes  had  quietly  purchased  in 
the  most  of  it  when  it  fell  to  fifty  cents  a  share. 

So  the  "  Street "  only  laughed  and  called  it 
cleverly  done,  and  then  turned  their  attention  to 
the  next  new  "fancy." 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER,  287 

The  mortgage  against  the  Company  was  duly 
"foreclosed,"  and  John  Stykes  became  the  owner 
of  the  fine  property,  now  ready,  really  ready  for 
working. 

He  had  paid  for  the  whole  out  of  his  manipu 
lations  of  the  shares,  and  cleared  a  large  sum  be 
sides. 

The  Company  closed  its  doors. 

None  of  the  four  influential  directors  had  lost 
any  thing;  not  even  reputation,  for  their  charac 
ters  for  honesty  were  too  firmly  established  for 
them  to  suffer  in  that  respect. 

In  due  time  a  solid  company  was  established 
to  mine  these  very  coal  lands.  Stykes  holds  a 
majority  of  the  stock.  It  is  actually  worth  to 
day — shares  one  hundred  dollars — one  hundred 
and  twenty.  On  "freezing  out"  the  original  par 
ties,  this  is  the  satisfactory  result. 

After  all  it  was  nothing  but  a  Wall  Street 
encounter  of  wits.  The  public  did  not  suffer — 
much.  And  the  succeeding  winter  many  a  poor 
wretch  tried  in  vain  to  find  the  office  of  that 


288  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

charitable     company    who     gave    them     coal    at 
cost ! 

They  bless    the    name   of  the    "HOPE  AND 
ANCHOR"  to  this  day! 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

IT  is  a  terrible  thing  for  a  man  who  is  active, 
energetic,  and  fresh,  to  be  landed  high  and  dry 
upon  a  sand-bank. 

The  proximity  to  the  water,  where  he  sees 
vessels  under  full  sail,  only  aggravates  his  condi 
tion. 

How  to  get  off?     That  is  the  question. 

That  was  my  question  for  a  long  time  after 
retiring  from  the  enterprise  I  had  so  rashly  un 
dertaken,  but  from  which  I  had  certainly  got 
well  away. 

Once  more  unshackled,  with  the  additional  ad 
vantage  that  I  was  in  no  immediate  pecuniary 
want,  I  took  a  cool,  calculating  view  of  the  busi 
ness  life  with  which  I  was  surrounded,  and  in 
which  the  quickest,  keenest  intellects  of  the  world 

encounter  each  other. 
13 


290  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

"A  man  who  owes  nothing,  and  has  three 
cents  over,  can  pass  for  a  millionaire. " 

This  apothegm  of  Deams  I  now  took  full  ad 
vantage  of:  not  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
any  thing  from  the  public  under  false  pretenses, 
unless  it  might  be  the  public's  favorable  opinion. 
That,  however,  I  felt  myself  entitled  to  until  I 
had  done  something  to  forfeit  it. 

I  continued  my  residence  at  the  Grand  Ave 
nue  Hotel,  and  paid  my  bills  with  the  quiet  air 
of  a  solid  man.  I  went  regularly  to  my  office, 
from  whence  I  regarded  with  attention  the  course 
of  affairs. 

The  money-market,  stock  list,  fluctuations  in 
gold,  exchange,  provisions,  dry-goods,  were  all 
watched  with  the  closest  scrutiny. 

In  short,  I  put  myself  to  school.  I  sought 
acquaintance  with  the  "best"  men,  and  asked 
for  opinions  and  judgments  with  the  tone  of  a 
person  who  has  his  own  views,  and  who  can 
therefore  afford  to  inquire  into  theirs.  Above 
all,  I  kept  my  own  counsel. 


HENKY   POWERS,  BANKER.  291 

It  was  not  long  before  I  heard  myself  spoken 
of  as  "  a  young  man  of  great  sagacity."  "  Very 
careful  operator,"  another  remarked.  "  Silent  and 
shrewd,"  quoth  a  third. 

Men  of  influence  in  the  "Street,"  now  bowed 
to  me  with  a  certain,  degree  of  consideration,  and 
propositions  were  made  from  time  to  time  which, 
if  I  had  had  the  means  to  accept,  would  have  been 
extremely  desirable.  These,  of  course,  I  found  a 
way  for  declining  without  betraying  the  secret  of 
my  situation, 

Other  schemes  purely  speculative,  I  dismissed 
summarily,  giving  those  who  presented  them  to 
understand  that  I  "never  touched  any  thing  of 
the  sort." 

It  was  in  vain  the  poor  fellows  sought  to 
modify  my  judgment.  I  was  inexorable  I 

At  times  it  made  my  heart  ache  to  see  some 
one  who  put  me  in  mind  of  myself.  On  two 
or  three  occasions  I  remember  to  have  advised 
young  men,  who  appeared  to  be  still  fresh  and  un 
hackneyed,  to  quit  the  city,  and  the  invariable 


292  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

response     was,     "we     have     not     the     means     to 
do  it." 

I  should  say  something  here  of  the  very  satis 
factory  conduct  of  Deams. 

That  extraordinary  individual  stilt  continued 
to  haunt  the  purlieus  of  the  stock  board,  main 
taining  his  old  character  and  habits.  Although 
he  never  approached  me  with  any  more  "  enter 
prises,"  he  was  always  not  only  cordial,  but,  I 
was  about  to  say,  affectionate  in  his  manner. 
Wherever  he  went  he  spoke  of  me  as  "an  extra 
ordinary  man,"  "  one  of  the  most  successful  men 
in  the  Street,"  and  the  like, 

Mr.  Worth  was  now  in  the  habit  of  stopping 
me  occasionally  to  ask  some  financial  question, 
which  he  supposed  my  own  affairs  made  me 
familiar  with,  but  which  only  the  most  careful 
study  of,  and  attention  to  business  matters  made 
it  possible  for  me  to  reply  to. 

Even  John  Stykes  did  not  omit  to  nod  as  we 
encountered  each  other !  At  church,  the  leading 
members  of  the  congregation  began  to  notice  me. 


HENRY  POWEES,  BANKER.  293 

By  degrees  I  was  proffered  introductions  to  the 
young  ladies.  Matters  were  moving  on  charm 
ingly. 

Only  I  was  all  this  time  high  and  dry  on 
the  sand  bank  I  spoke  of  at  the  commencement 
of  the  chapter, 

I  knew  it,  if  no  one  else  did.  I  knew  it, 
and  at  times  smiled  grimly  when  I  thought  of 
my  position — smiled  grimly  at  the  attention  I 
received  from  "  sound  business  -  men  " — grimly 
when  I  perceived  young  ladies  seeking  an  in 
troduction. 

But  I  never  so  smiled  when  Mary  Worth  was 
near.  My  manner  toward  her  was  always  the 
same.  It  was  always,  as  at  the  first,  entirely 
natural,  though  perhaps  formal,  showing  a  sin 
cere  respect  and  regard. 

I  did  not  seek  a  more  intimate  acquaintance 
with  her,  because  things  appeared  so  bright 
with  me.  I  had  no  objection  to  availing  my 
self  of  the  attentions  which  were  generally  be 
stowed  on  me.  The  politeness  of  our  church- 


294:  HENKY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

going  people  was  as  fully  understood  and  ap 
preciated  as  their  neglect  had  been,  and  I  felt 
quite  at  liberty  to  take  advantage  of  it. 

To  Mary  Worth  I  could  present  no  false 
token.  She  must  have  thought  it  singular,  un 
derstanding,  as  I  am  sure  she  did,  why  I  had 
not  pressed  my  acquaintance,  and  having  every 
reason  to  suppose  that  the  objection  I  had  my 
self  interposed  no  longer  existed, 

I  could  not  help  it.  I  must  not  betray  my 
secret;  so  I  kept  on  the  even  tenor  of  my 
way. 

Occasionally  I  detected  her  looking  at  me 
with  a  half-curious,  half-troubled  expression  which 
I  did  not  quite  understand.  Her  influence  over 
me  increased  all  the  while,  until  I  felt  a  strong 
mysterious  conviction  that  her  destiny  was  to 
be  blended  with  mine.  A  strange  state  of 
things — yet  there  it  was !  "  She  is  mine,  she 
can  not  escape  me,  mine  forever,"  I  would  ex 
claim,  as  if  inspired  by  some  divinity  I 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

DURIXG  the  winter  I  received  many  invita 
tions  to  parties,  receptions,  private  theatricals, 
etc.,  etc. 

These  were  proffered  because  it  was  under 
stood  I  was  a  very  prosperous  young  man,  who 
bid  fair  to  make  his  mark  in  the  financial 
w^orld.  This  was  all  that  the  various  papas  and 
mammas  seemed  to  care  for  or  even  think  of, 
and,  I  may  add,  the  daughters  also. 

I  accepted  a  great  many  of  these  invitations 
for  the  simple  purpose  of  mixing  socially  in 
fashionable  society,  and  seeing  what  it  was 
made  of. 

I  confess  I  found  it  very  pleasant  indeed. 
I  took  pleasure  in  looking  at  the  handsome 
women,  dressed  expensively  and  in  good  taste, 
who  governed  themselves  by  certain  rules  of  eti- 


HENRY  POWERS,  BAXKER. 

quette,  which  excluded  vulgarity  and  made  every 
thing  agreeable. 

I  did  not  attempt  to  penetrate  below  the  sur 
face,  but  took  things  as  they  appeared. 

In  this  way  I  enjoyed  myself  exceedingly. 

At  many  of  these  parties  I   saw  Miss  Worth. 

Here  was  an  opportunity  for  meeting  her  not 
only  on  neutral  ground,  but  on  equal  ground, 
where,  surrounded  by  so  much  that  made  the 
scene  romantic  and  fairy-like,  I  might  renew  the 
intimacy  which  we  had  at  the  sea-shore. 

I  was  sorely  tempted.  But  the  recollection 
of  the  conversation  I  overheard  at  Long  Branch, 
and  the  look  of  anxiety  worn  by  Mr.  Worth 
at  that  time,  still  haunted  me,  still  stirred  my 
pride. 

I  never  omitted,  however,  to  speak  to  Miss 
Worth  whenever  I  did  meet  her  in  society,  yet  I 
carefully  abstained  from  any  further  attentions. 
But  I  never  devoted  myself  for  the  evening,  after 
the  fashion  of  many  young  men,  to  any  one  of 
the  young  ladies  of  my  acquaintances.  I  en- 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  297 

* 

deavored   to  be   polite   without  being    demonstra 
tive. 

One  evening,  however,  at  a  magnificent  party 
given  by  Mrs.  De  Castro,  I  found  myself  after 
dancing  with  a  very  charming  girl,  Miss  Edger- 
ton,  daughter  of  a  wealthy  New  Yorker,  seated 
near  a  window,  in  conversation  with  her. 

She  seemed  to  take  pains  to  make  herself 
specially  agreeable,  and  continued  to  detain  me 
by  various  bewitching  ways,  which  the  sex  under 
stand  so  well  how  to  practice. 

Suddenly  I  looked  up  and  saw  Miss  Worth 
walking  with  a  gentleman.  She  was  just  passing 
us.  Their  promenade  brought  them  near  the  spot 
where  we  were  sitting,  every  two  or  three  min 
utes. 

I  hardly  knew  why,  but  I  could  not  bear  to 
remain  longer  where  I  was,  and  at  last  I  rose, 
impolite  as  it  must  have  appeared,  as  if  to  leave 
the  young  lady. 

Miss  Edgerton   rose   at  the  same   time,  placed 

her  arm  in  the  most  natural  manner  within  mine, 
13* 


298  HENKY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

and  we  thereupon  commenced  our  promenade. 
Of  course,  at  each  turn  around  the  room  we  met 
Miss  Worth  in  her  walk. 

I  knew  Miss  Edgerton  was  playing  me  off. 
In  fact  she  managed  to  seem  to  be  saying  some 
thing  very  confidential  to  me  whenever  we  swept 
close  up  to  "that  lovely  girl,  her  dear  friend," 
Miss  Worth.  She  kept  on  in  this  manner  till  I 
was  forced  to  ask  her  to  dance  again,  as  the 
only  way  to  ultimate  freedom. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  evening,  while  Miss 
Worth  was  preparing  to  leave,  we  met  in  the 
hall. 

"Mr.  Powers,"  she  said  to  me,  almost  ab 
ruptly,  "will  you  be  kind  enough  to  answer  me 
one  question  frankly." 

«  Certainly." 

"Will  you  tell  me  if  in  any  way  I  have 
given  you  offense." 

"  I  assure  you,  in  no  way  whatever." 

"I  feel  much  relieved,"  she  continued,  with 
dignity.  "  I  should  reproach  myself  forever,  did 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  299 

I  even  involuntarily  do  aught  to  offend  one  to 
whose " 

"I  beg  you  to  stop;"  I  exclaimed,  "if  it  was 
possible  for  you  to  give  me  offense,  which  it  is 
not,  it  would  be  by  continuing  to  allude  to  a 
circumstance  which  you  know  was  purely  acci 
dental,  and  which  I  pray  you  never  to  mention 
in  this  way." 

Miss  Worth  looked  at  me  an  instant  as  if 
fully  to  fathom  my  meaning ;  the  next,  her 
mother's  voice  was  heard  calling  to  her. 

She  bade  me  good  evening,  with  a  hauteur  of 
manner  I  had  never  before  witnessed  in  her,  and 
which  led  me  to  curse  Miss  Elgerton,  almost 
audibly. 

Shortly  after  this  occurrence,  as  I  was  stroll 
ing  up  Broadway  one  afternoon,  I  stepped  in  at 
Brady's  fine  gallery  of  photographs,  on  the  cor 
ner  of  Tenth  Street.  Who  should  I  encounter 
there  but  Mrs.  Worth  and  her  daughter.  The 
two  were  looking  at  some  pictures  of  the  last 


300  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.* 

important  battle,  which  had  been  taken  in  the 
field. 

Mrs.  Worth  greeted  me,  as  usual,  very  cor 
dially,  Miss  Worth  not  in  her  accustomed,  frank 
manner,  but  with  evident  reserve. 

"  Mary  has  just  had  some  vignettes  taken,  Mr. 
Powers.  I  wish  you  had  come  in  a  little  sooner; 
you  could  have  helped  us  decide  which  were 
best." 

Miss  Worth  did  not  speak. 

"  By  the  way,  Mary,  I  wish  to  step  across  the 
street  to  Stewart's,  to  do  a  little  shopping,  and 
'  I  will  leave  you  for  ten  minutes  to  finish  look 
ing  at  the  pictures." 

"  I  have  seen  all  I  wish,  mamma,"  said  the 
young  lady;  "I  would  much  prefer  to  go  with 
you." 

The  ladies  bowed  and  quitted  the  hall,  leav 
ing  me  in  a  state  of  chagrin  not  readily  de 
scribed. 

What  can  be  the  matter?  After  all,  have  I 
been  deceiving  myself  again?  Am  I  destined  all 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  301 

my  life  to  be  made  the  sport  of  my  own  feel 
ings?" 

Then  my  mind  changed.  "Idiot,"  I  exclaimed 
mentally,  "do  you  suppose  the  girl  has  no 
spirit?  She  will  bear  a  great  deal,  because  she 
feels  grateful  to  you,  but  there  is  an  end  to  for 
bearance.  You  have  treated  her  ridiculously. 

"Confound  her  gratitude  (the  mood  again 
changed).  I  wish  I  had  never  incurred  it.  I 
wish — in  fact,  I  don't  know  what  I  wish!" 

I  was  interrupted  by  the  sight  of  Miss  Worth 
herself,  who  had  approached  very  near  without 
my  observing  her. 

"I  have  left  my  parasol,  I  believe,"  she  said, 
at  the  same  time  taking  it  up  and  turning  again 
to  go  away. 

"Miss  Worth,"  I  exclaimed.     She  stopped. 

I  approached  very  close  to  her. 

"The  other  evening,  Miss  Worth,  you  put  a 
question  to  me  which  I  answered.  Perhaps  you 
remember  what  it  was.  Permit  me  to  put  a 
similar  question  to  you. 


302  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

"Are  you  offended  with  me?" 

She  looked  for  a  moment  very  grave ;  then 
her  countenance  relaxed.  Extending  her  hand, 
she  said,  with  a  genial  smile : — 

"Let  us  say  no  more  about  it." 

I  took  her  hand,  and  was  pressing  it  too  hard 
or  keeping  it  too  long,  I  know  not  which,  per 
haps  both,  when  a  hurried  good  morning  was 
uttered,  and  the  hand  was  gone. 

The  spring  came  and  went,  leaving  me  as  it 
found  me,  still  on  the  sand-bank,  yet  not  dis 
couraged,  nor  disheartened,  nor  discomposed  in 
any  sense. 

I  continued  to  study  events  and  watch  for 
the  moving  of  the  waters. 

At  length  the  summer  heats  began  to  drive 
the  inhabitants  to  the  various  places  of  resort, 
frequented  at  this  season  by  the  world  of  leisure 
and  of  fashion. 

I  resolved  to  go  with  the  rest.  I  will  visit 
Sharon  and  Saratoga  and  Newport,  each  for  a 


HEBTRY  POWEKS,  BANKEK.  303 

few  days.     It  will  be  in  character  with  my  new 
position. 

"  I  suppose  you  leave  town  soon,"  I  said  one 
Sunday  to  Miss  Worth,  as  we  were  going  out  of 
church. 

"  We  go  to-morrow,"  she  replied,  "  to  remain 
to  the  end  of  October." 

"  I  hope  you  will  have  an  agreeable  time." 

"  Thank  you.  I  presume  you  will  desert  the 
city  soon  yourself." 

"  I  may  be  absent  three  or  four  weeks,  not 
longer." 

"Business  makes  slaves  of  you  gentlemen." 

"  Yes." 

"  You  do  not  inquire  where  we  are  going," 
continued  Miss  Worth,  pleasantly. 

"  I  should  be  happy  to  know,  however,"  I 
replied. 

"We  are  not  going  to  Long  Branch,"  she 
said,  hurriedly.  "I  shall  never  go  there  again, 
never.  The  very  thought  of— — -" 


304:  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

She  stopped  short,  as  if  unwilling  to  trust 
herself  with  the  subject. 

After  a  pause,  she  continued  in  her  natural 
tone :  "  We  are  going  to  make  a  longer  tour — as 
far  as  St.  Paul  in  Minnesota.  Papa's  health  re 
quires  such  a  trip,  and  we  are  all  delighted  that 
we  are  to  travel,  instead  of  spending  our  time  at 
a  watering-place." 

We  had  advanced  quite  to  the  street.  Un 
consciously  I  was  listening,  entirely  enraptured, 
not  with  what  Miss  Worth  was  saying,  but  with 

her.      For  the  first   time   I  found  myself   giving 
wav          ****** 

*  *      My  gaze   rested  on 

Mary  Worth  with  a  look  of  undisguised  love  and 
admiration. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  * 

I  extended  my  hand.  "It  will  be  a  long 
time  before  we  meet  here  again — a  pleasant  ex 
cursion — good-bye ! " 

It  was  well  over — the  next  moment  I  was 
walking  rapidly  toward  my  hotel. 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  305 

"The  end  of  October,"  I  muttered.  "Before 
that  time  I  shall  be  settled  at  what  will  tell 
here,  or  have  quitted  New  York  altogether — 
which?" 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 

MY  reputation  for  wealth,  business  capacity, 
and  extraordinary  financial  ability,  increased  in 
spite  of  myself — while  I  was  really  doing  nothing 
at  all ! 

This  very  consideration  made  me  the  more 
fixed  in  my  resolution  to  leave  the  city,  and  go 
where  I  might  commence  in  a  small  way,  if  I 
could  not  engage  in  something  which  should 
prove  a  decisive,  if  not  a  brilliant,  success. 

Although  gold  had  now  reached  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five,  the  various  departments  of  mer 
chandise  were  still  to  an  extent  uninfluenced. 

In  the  tremendous  stagnation  of  the  previous 
year,  prices  had  sunk  to  about  one-half  their  usual 
standard,  from  which  they  were  slowly  recover 
ing. 

I   had   conversed  a  great   deal  witli  my  friend 


HENEY  POWERS,  BANKER.  307 

Holman  on  the  subject,  which,  of  course,  he  thor 
oughly  understood.  He  would  frequently  remark: 
"Now  is  just  the  time  to  commence  again,  if  I 
had  the  capital."  His  wife  often  urged  him  to  go 
once  more  into  business,  offering  her  own  little 
fortune  to  aid  him  in  doing  so,  but  he  persist 
ently  refused  to  accept  it. 

There  really  was  nothing  to  prevent,  for  the 
energetic  Mr.  Gardner  had  returned  from  Europe, 
having  arranged  a  favorable  compromise  with  the 
creditors  of  the  firm  of  Gardner,  Lynde  &  Co., 
by  which  all  the  partners  were  free.  He,  Mr. 
Gardner,  was  already  preparing  to  go  on  again 
under  the  firm  of  Gardner  &  Co.  This  house  has 
now  resumed  its  former  position ;  indeed,  many 
consider  it  stronger  than  it  was  before  it  sus^ 
pended. 

Day  after  day  Holman  and  I  would  talk  over 
matters,  and  always  with  the  same  opinion  ex* 
pressed  by  him — to  wit,  a  certainty  of  a  great 
rise  in  prices  and  in  gold. 

At    length    I    departed    for    Sharon.      It    was 


308  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

very  agreeable,  for  I  found  many  acquaintances 
there,  but  I  was  nervous  and  ill  at  ease  all  the 
time. 

It  seemed  as  if  my  destiny  would  soon  take 
its  ultimate  earthly  shape,  and  that  I  ought  to 
be  back  in  town. 

I  staid  but  four  days  at  Sharon,  and  left  for 
Saratoga,  a  good  deal  to  the  regret,  as  I  was 
vain  enough  to  imagine,  of  the  pretty  and  fas 
cinating  Miss  Edgerton,  of  whom  I  have  already 
spoken,  whose  father  was  rich  to  repletion,  and 
she  an  only  child, 

Yes,  reader,  on  my  honor,  I  think  I  might 
have  proposed  to  Emily  Edgerton,  and  been  ac 
cepted.  But  had  no  Mary  Worth  existed,  I 
could  not  have  offered  myself  under  a  false  pre 
tense. 

Besides,  I  never  would  have  married  a  rich 
girl  while  I  myself  was  poor. 

At  Saratoga  I  mixed  promiscuously  with  the 
great  crowd,  but  could  find  no  enjoyment  there, 
none  whatever. 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  309 

On  the  third  day  after  my  arrival  (it  was 
Saturday),  Mr.  Stokes  came  up  from  New  York 
to  spend  Sunday.  We  had  always  been  on  very 
pleasant  terms  from  the  time  I  called  at  his 
house  to  endeavor  to  enlist  him  in  the  Coal  Com 
pany. 

Mr.  Stokes  seemed  much  surprised  when  I 
told  him  I  had  been  more  than  a  week  away 
from  New  York. 

"You  must  have  left  your  matters  snug,"  he 
said.  "The  fact  is,  although  one  of  us  is  always 
on  the  spot,  I  hardly  dare  be  absent  over  night. 
We  shall  have  extraordinary  changes,  don't  you 
think  so?" 

"Yes." 

"There  will  be  a  new  element  in  speculation, 
which  will  take  in  every  description  of  merchan 
dise.  This  will  make  an  active  money  market. 
You  agree  with  me  ? " 

"I  do." 

"  By  the  way,"  continued  Mr.  Stokes,  as  we 
were  sipping  our  sherry  after  dinner,  "by  the 


810  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

way,  I  never  saw  your  name  figuring  in  connec 
tion  with  '  Hope  and  Anchor.'  You  know  you 
called  on  me  about  it.  I  meant  to  have  asked 
you  how  it  happened." 

"  I  sold  out,  warned  by  the  expression  of  your 
opinion.  I  had  great  confidence  in  your  judg 
ment." 

"And  I  have  had  great  confidence  in  you  from 
the  time  I  discovered  your  name  withdrawn  from 
the  list  of  '  trustees,' "  exclaimed  Mr,  Stokes^  with 
genial  frankness. 

I  will  not  detail  the  long  conversation  be 
tween  Mr.  Stokes  and  myself  that  same  evening, 
and  which  lasted  into  the  night,  and  which  parj 
took  quite  of  the  confidential. 

The  result  of  it  was  that  after  we  had  be 
come,  as  it  would  seem,  really  well  acquainted 
with  each  other  (those  few  hours  were  worth 
more  to  me  than  years  of  ordinary  business  inter 
course),  Mr.  Stokes  said,  very  delicately,  that  if 
I  were  inclined  to  undertake  any  operation  re 
quiring  more  money  than  I  had  at  command,  he 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  311 

would  make  any  reasonable  advance  that  I  might 
need. 

I  felt  that  he  meant  this,  and  I  replied  with 
candor  that  I  would  be  glad  to  avail  myself  of 
his  offer. 

"  Don't  misunderstand  me,"  he  replied,  "  I 
shall  seek  no  share  of  your  profits.  The  safety 
and  repute  of  our  house  are  in  this,  that  we  do 
not  mix  up  in  other  matters.  We  have  plenty 
of  money,  and  I  am  willing  to  go  a  little  out  of 
the  way  and  take  your  judgment  as  to  any 
venture  you  may  make,  since  you  once  showed 
so  much  respect  for  mine.  As  to  compensation, 
our  commissions  and  interest-account  will  cover 
that," 

Monday  morning — it  was  a  close,  murky  Au 
gust  day — I  returned  to  New  York,  giving  New 
port  the  go-by  for  that  season  at  least. 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 

"  SEWAKD  is  buying  up  everything  he  can  lay 
his  hands  on.  I  know  it.  His  head  man  is  an 
old  and  intimate  friend  of  mine." 

Such  were  the  words  of  my  friend  Holman, 
uttered  as  a  part  of  a  long  conversation  on  the 
very  night  I  returned  from  Saratoga. 

"And  yet  Edward  won't  venture^"  said  his 
wife,  who  had  been  a  quiet  listener  to  our  con 
fab,  "Edward  won't  venture  a  penny,  although  I 
have  begged  him  to  take  five  thousand  of  my 
7-30's  and  try  something." 

"It  is  true,  Powers,.!  will  not  do  it.  I  must 
not,  I  dare  not  do  it,"  said  Holman,  firmly. 

"Wait  a  little  and  we  will  see  whether  you 
will  or  not,"  I  said.  "  For  the  present,  it  is,  per 
haps,  well  to  say  cno.'  For  the  future  we  will 
not  commit  ourselves;" 


HENKY  POWERS,  BANKER.  313 

"  Now  that  is  sensible,"  said  Mrs.  Holman. 
"After  this  I  shall  consult  with  you,  Mr.  Pow 
ers." 

"Agreed;   and  now  I  must  say  good  night." 

I  went  home  and  slept  little.  I  thought 
much. 

The  next  day — I  shall  never  forget  it,  for  it 
was  one  of  the  most  sultry  and  disagreeable  of 
the  whole  summer — I  took  a  solitary  walk 
through  the  east  part  of  the  town,  or  rather 
through  that  portion  of  it  where  the  small  cheap 
dry-goods  men  congregate. 

Occasionally  I  would  stop  into  a  store  and 
make  some  trifling  purchase. 

"Business  is  very  dull;"  that  was  the  general 
observation. 

One  man  whom  I  encountered,  appeared  so 
much  discouraged  by  the  "  signs  of  the  times," 
as  he  called  it,  that  he  said  he  would  sell  out  at 
twenty-five  per  cent,  below  what  his  goods  ac 
tually  cost  him,  and  would  produce  the  original 

invoices  as  a  guaranty. 
14 


314:  HENKT  POWERS,  BA.NKEK. 

I  told  him  I  was  about  going  into  business, 
and  after  obtaining  a  further  deduction  for  rem 
nants  and  pieces  that  were  cut,  I  drew  up  a 
short  agreement,  which  we  both  signed,  and  I 
left,  promising  to  send  some  one  to  take  an 
account  of  stock  that  very  day. 

Returning  toward  the  Bowery  I  perceived  at 
the  door  of  a  pretty  large  store,  the  red  flag 
of  the  auctioneer. 

I  went  into  the  place  and  beheld,  placarded 
around,  in  large  letters,  "Assignee's  Sale."  I 
recognized  the  young  man  who  was  to  act  as 
auctioneer,  as  a  fellow-boarder  in  the  house  I 
lived  at  before  going  to  the  Grand  Avenue  Hotel. 

He  greeted  me  cordially. 

"The  goods  will  go  for  nothing,"  he  said, 
in  reply  to  some  observation  of  mine.  "Not  a 
buyer  here  worth  a  row  of  pins.  I  wonder 
Lennox  has  not  come.  I  sent  him  a  hand-bill." 

"Who  is  Lennox?" 

"Between  us,  he  is  purchasing  for  Seward. 
I  have  it  confidential." 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  315 

"  When  does  the  sale  commence  ?" 

"Time  is  up  now.  The  fact  is,  I  was  look 
ing  out  for  Lennox  when  you  entered." 

"Well,  on  this  occasion  I  will  take  Lennox's 
place.  I  want  to  buy  this  stock  of  goods 
myself." 

"All  right,  glad  to  hear  it.  Terms  cash, 
you  know." 

"  The  cash  is  ready." 

On  this  occasion,  reader,  I  purchased  nearly 
the  entire  stock  in  the  store,  and,  as  I  have 
said,  it  was  quite  a  large  establishment. 

The  amount  of  my  bids  run  up  to  eleven 
thousand  three  hundred  and  twenty-one  dollars 
and  forty-five  cents ! 

I  had  in  bank  •  about  seventeen  hundred 
dollars.  But,  in  addition,  a  fine  magnetic  frenzy 
possessed  me. 

I  knew  I  was  on  the  right  track.  I  was 
certain  of  aid  from  Mr.  Stokes,  and  I  was  de 
termined  to  compel  my  friend  Holman  to  strike 
NOW,  for  his  own  sake. 


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318  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

It  was  quite  time.  The  indefatigable  Lennox 
— servant  of  the  all-powerful  [in  "  dry-goods"] 
Seward — had  felt  somebody  operating  against 
him  in  the  cheap  quarters. 

Napoleon-like,  he  sought  an  interview  with 
me,  and  asked  me  to  say  frankly  how  far  I 
wished  to  go  in  my  purchases. 

"About  forty-five  thousand  dollars,"  I  said. 
"Certainly  not  over  fifty  thousand." 

"Good,  make  your  bargains.  I  shall  neither 
compete  or  interfere  with  you.  That  is  really 
all  you  want?" 

"  Yes." 

Lennox  even  gave  me  some  valuable  hints 
which  I  acted  on.  And  after  that  the  field  was 
left  clear  to  him. 

Reader,  have  you  any  idea  of  the  price  of 
calicoes  ?  of  shirtings,  sheetings,  muslins,  et  cetera, 
et  cetera,  et  cetera  ?  I  am  inclined  to  think 
you  have.  Therefore,  you  will  not  be  surprised 
when  I  tell  you  that  out  of  our  purchases,  Hoi- 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  319 

man     and    I    cleared     over     forty-five    thousand 
dollars   each,  before  the  winter  was  over. 
But  I  am  anticipating* 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

ABOUT  the  end  of  October,  Mary  Worth  did 
return.  How  I  waited  for  the  event.  How, 
Sabbath  after  Sabbath,  I  looked  toward  her  pew 
with  the  hope  that  the  excursion  might  have 
been  for  some  reason  shortened! 

At  last  she  was  there. 

It  was  the  first  Sunday  in  November.  New 
York  was  in  the  midst  of  its  glorious  autumnal 
season.  Rich  colors  were  everywhere  seen,  in 
the  foliage  and  in  the  superb  dresses  of  superb 
women. 

At  last  she  was  there. 

I  knew  it  because  my  heart  fluttered  violently. 

Turning  my  head  I  saw  the  Worth  family 
entering.  I  was  certain  that  I  should  see  them 
before  doing  so. 


HENKY  POWERS,  BANKEE.  321 

After  she  was  quite  settled  in  her  seat,  Mary 
Worth  looked,  with  a  timid  air,  in  the  direction 
of  my  own  pew. 

Our  eyes  met — met  as  lovers'  eyes  meet. 
In  that  delicious  moment  all  things  appeared 
bright  and  clear,  and  perfectly  understood.  We 
did  not  look  toward  each  other  again,  but  each 
listened  to  the  service  with  extraordinary  atten 
tion! 

It  is  true  I  had  not  yet  realized  a  fortune, 
but  I  was  confident  I  was  on  the  road  to  one. 

Indeed,  I  did  not  hesitate  to  call  on  Mr.  Worth, 
and  say  to  him  that  I  felt  that  I  was  now  in 
a  position  when  I  might  ask  his  assent  to  visit 
ing  his  family,  irrespective  of  any  friendly  claim 
on  the  score  of  accidental  service. 

Mr.  Worth's  reception  of  me  was  not  merely 
cordial,  it  was  appreciative. 

I  could  scarcely  realize  where  I  was  and 
what  was  being  said.  I  seemed  to  live  and 

move  in  some  newly-created  world. 
14* 


322  HENRY   POWERS,  BANKEE. 

Was  it  possible?  Am  I  to  visit  Mary  Worth, 
with  a  full  sense  of  a  well-sustained  self-respect? 
It  was  so  indeed  ! 


CHAPTER    XXXIV. 

How   should   I   begin   my   courtship? 

How  did  I  know  but,  with  the  change  in 
my  condition,  there  would  come  not  a  corre 
sponding,  but  an  antagonistic  change  in  Mary 
Worth. 

[Women  are  such  inexplicable  creatures.] 

Was  it  not  natural  to  suppose  that  the  feeling 
of  gratitude  which  had  been  so  persistently  put 
before  me,  and  which  I  sometimes  hoped  covered 
a  deeper  and  warmer  sentiment,  might  now  fade 
away  in  the  light  of  my  prosperity,  and  leave 
me  to  commence  the  acquaintance,  as  it  were, 
anew? 

I  feared  this. 

The  fact  is,  I  had  not  half  the  confidence  I 
possessed  when  I  saw  Mary  Worth  in  the  dis 
tance.  Then  she  was  to  me  what  his  ladye-love 


324:  HENRY  POWERS,   BANKER. 

was  to  each  gallant  knight  of  old,  who  fre 
quently  had  no  acquaintance  with  the  object  of 
his  adoration. 

In  other  words,  as  I  came  nearer  my  object, 
faith  "further  retired,"  till  she  was  no  longer 
in  attendance  to  embolden  and  strengthen  me. 

What  was  I  to  do?  should  I  pay  a  visit 
to  Miss  Worth,  or  should  I  wait  for  an  acci 
dental  meeting  to  put  in  practice  a  more  demon 
strative  course  toward  her? 

I   concluded   on   the   latter. 

It  turned  out  precisely  as  I  feared,  in  fact, 
expected. 

We  met  at  a  little  soiree — a  very  select  af 
fair — where  I  had  an  'excellent  opportunity  to 
converse  with  her. 

Strange  to  say  she  appeared  shy  and  reserved 
— I  began  to  feel  so  myself. 

What  had  become  of  my  assurance,  my  cour 
age?  in  place  of  these  crept  in  timidity  and 
alarm.  I  now  saw,  as  I  thought  very  clearly, 
I  had  no  right  to  hope  that  Mary  Worth  en- 


HENRY   POWERS,  BANKER.  325 

tertained  for  me  any  particular  regard.  In  short, 
I  had,  like  an  idiot,  taken  it  for  granted  that 
when  I  was  ready  to  pay  my  addresses,  she 
would  be  ready  to  receive  them. 

I  passed  a  week  in  a  very  wretched  state. 
Then  a  reaction  set  in  with  an  increase  of  con 
fidence;  so  that  meeting  Mary  Worth  one  day 
in  Fifth  Avenue,  I  joined  her,  walked  with  her, 
volunteered  to  go  with  her  into  two  or  three 
shops  on  some  trifling  errand,  and  then  accom 
panied  her  quite  home. 

On  this  occasion  the  time  passed  pleasantly, 
but,  alas,  things  did  not  appear  at  all  as  they 
did  when  I  had  the  whole  affair  literally  to 
myself — love,  confidence,  happiness,  joy.  For 
I  was  my  own  creator,  and  could  draw  with 
out  limit  on  my  hopes  and  wishes ;  above  all  on 
my  imagination ;  rarely,  if  ever,  on  my  fears. 

I  will  not  prolong  this  account,  nor  tell  my 
readers  of  all  the  trials  and  perplexities  (lover's 
trials  and  perplexities),  and  doubts  and  fears 
(lover's  also),  mingled  with  ecstatic  glimpses  born 


326  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

of  a  passing  word  or  glance  from  Mary  Worth, 
and  which  carried  me  along  week  after  week. 

Rumor  finally  began  to  speak,  at  first  in 
whispers  of  course,  then  louder,  at  last  boldly, 
and  before  I  had  dared  to  speak  myself. 

Yes,  rumor  declared  that  we  were  engaged. 
Then  everybody  began  to  joke  me  about  Miss 
Worth,  while  she  was  the  subject  of  a  similar 
badinage  on  my  account. 

Both   of  us   managed   to   endure   it. 

The  time  had  come  when  I  had  no  right 
longer  to  delay  the  crisis.  I  certainly  had  no 
desire  to  do  so,  except  I  trembled  at  the  bare 
idea  of  what  was  possible — a  refusal. 

Could  I  survive  such  an  event?  Doubtless 
I  could.  But  there  would  be  to  me  nothing 
worth  the  surviving. 

One  afternoon  I  was  passing  Mr.  Worth's 
house  (purely  accidental  of  course),  and  saw 
Mary  at  the  window. 

My  resolution  was  taken.  I  sprang  on  the 
steps,  and  rang  the  bell.  A  minute  or  two  later, 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  327 

I    was     seated    near    her    in    the    drawing-room, 
where  she  was  quite  alone. 


I  have  above  recorded  a  true  and  faithful  ac 
count  of  what  passed  at  this  interview,  which 
must  assuredly  prove  satisfactory  to  each  one 
of  my  readers. 

I  say  satisfactory,  because  each  is  at  liberty 
to  translate  these  mysterious  little  points  into  a 
language  of  his  or  her  own.  The  matter-of-fact 
and  common-place  people  (with  whom  I  have 
no  sympathy),  and  the  romantic  and  imaginative 
class  (with  whom  I  have  a  great  deal),  will 
both  be  perfectly  satisfied.  Thus  I  shall  disap 
point  neither  the  one  nor  the  other. 


828  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

«        »        •        »        • 

"It  was  my  destiny,  I  suppose,"  she  replied, 
smilingly. 

"And  mine.  Destiny  hurried  you  to  Long 
Branch  where  you  say  you  had  not  thought  of 
going  till  a  few  days  before.  Destiny  sent  me 
there  after  you.  It  palsied  the  grasp  of  the 
young  man  who  held  your  hand,  and  strength 
ened  mine." 


"Nevertheless,  I  shall  never  forgive  you  for 
avoiding  me  a  whole  long  year." 

"  And  what  is  to  be  my  punishment  ?" 

"  The  thought  of  the  happy  hours  we  might 
have  enjoyed,  and  did  not." 

"But  I  did  enjoy  them." 

"How?" 

"In  thinking  of  you." 

"  I  do  not  believe  a  word  of  it !" 


CHAPTER     XXXV. 

WALL  Street  men  will  not  be  apt  to  forget 
the  insane  idea  which  took  possession  of  the 
Government  in  the  spring  of  1864  to  meddle 
with  the  gold  market.  Up  to  that  time,  gold 
had  scarcely  risen  above  150. 

There  were  true-hearted,  loyal  men  in  Wall 
Street,  who  did  all  they  could  to  keep  down 
the  price  of  gold  from  principle.  They  had  to 
contend,  it  is  true,  with  the  Southern  monetary 
influence  represented  by  certain  foreign  money 
changers,  and  also  against  the  "  Copperheads " 
generally.  But  they  did  contend  with  them, 
and  effectually. 

Of  this  class  was  Mr.  Stokes,  and  other 
names  honorable,  and  to  be  ever  honored. 

When,  however,  it  was  definitely  settled  that 
Congress  would  undertake  to  interfere,  sagacious 


330  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

men  knew  at  once  what  the  result  would  be, 
and  acted. 

In  conjunction  with  Holman,  who  now  was 
quite  willing  to  follow  my  advice,  I  bought  all 
the  gold  I  could  possibly  command,  with  the 
use  of  every  dollar  we  both  had  for  a  margin, 
and  followed  gold  up  front  157  in  February  to 
285  in  July. 

It  was  a  steady,  triumphant,  tremendous  pull ! 

The  moment  prices  began  to  fall  off,  we  stop* 
ped;  but  not  till  we  had  cleared  nearly  two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  apiece  I 

In  the  fall  Holman  and  I  had  arranged  our 
copartnership  for  a  banking-business.  The  firm 
was  to  be  POWERS  '&  HOLMAN,  my  friend  declar 
ing  my  name  should  appear  first. 

Fortified  by  letters  from  the  President  of  the 
Bank  of  Mutual  Safety  (I  no  longer  declined 
his  aid)  and  from  several  other  persons  who  were 
among  the  best  men  of  the  city,  I  visited  Lon 
don  and  Paris,  and  the  various  prominent  towns 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.  331 

on  the  Continent,  where  I  arranged  for  corre 
spondents,  agencies,  &c.,  &c.,  on  advantageous 
terms.  I  need  not  speak  of  my  subsequent 
success.  The  name  and  standing  of  the  firm  of 
POWERS  &  HOLMAN  should  be  perfectly  familiar 
to  you. 

Early  in  the  winter  Mary  Worth  and  I  were 
married. 

I  am  a  very  happy  man.  She  has  proved 
herself  indeed  an  angel  of  light  to  me,  saving 
me,  as  I  feel  conscious,  from  a  miserable  fate. 
For,  as  I  have  confessed  to  you,  there  was  a 
period  when  I  was  fast  lapsing  in  the  descend 
ing  scale,  and  I  think  nothing  but  my  romantic 
admiration  of  her  prevented  my  sliding  to  the 
bottom. 

Now  what  a  change  I  On  a  sudden,  I  am 
lifted  from  a  position  which  was  wretched,  pre 
carious,  and  repugnant  to  my  very  soul,  to 
wealth,  station,  and  honorable  repute:  to  more 
than  this — to  a  life  of  happiness  and  bliss. 


332  HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

The  only  drawback,  positively  the  only  draw 
back,  is  the  claims  of  what  is  called  fashionable 
life.  The  routine  of  that  gilded  world  in  a 
measure  enslaves  us.  It  is  hard  to  be  deaf  to 
its  flatteries  and  adulations — besides,  I  will  confess 
it — the  soft  and  bewitching  dream  of  worldly 
prosperity  in  its  first  freshness  has  a  great  charm 
for  me. 


What  next? 

You  have  my  story.  Extract  what  moral 
you  may  from  it.  I  can  only  say  it  is  a  true 
history. 


CHAPTER     XXXYI. 

"A  WORD  with  you,  before  you  go,"  about 
Wall  Street.  For  by  this  term  I  designate  the 
financial  center  of  New  York. 

Few  people  out  of  it,  really  have  any  prop 
er  conception  of  what  is  going  on  there.  Some 
have  an  idea  it  is  a  spot  where  immense  for 
tunes  are  made  with  little  or  no  exertion :  others, 
claim  that  it  is  simply  a  large  legalized  gam 
bling  haunt ;  while  a  great  many,  even  less 
charitable,  do  not  hesitate  to  speak  of  it  with 
coarseness  as  a  "  den  of  thieves." 

There  is  a  mixture  of  truth  and  error  in 
these  opinions. 

In  no  instance  does  the  proverb,  "  Things  are 
as  we  regard  them,"  so  well  apply  as  in  one's  e& 
timate  of  the  various  transactions  there. 

One  thing    I  will    say.      With    the    exception 


334  HENKY  POWERS,  BANKER. 

of  a  small  class  of  human  spiders,  who  are 
generally  old  men,  and  who  in  their  dens  lie  in 
wait  for  their  victims,  the  vice  of  avarice — the 
worst  of  all  vices — is  not  fostered  or  encouraged 
by  a  Wall  Street  life. 

The  contrary  rather  is  true.  For  where  does 
a  poor  begging  cripple  receive  so  generous  alms 
as  in  Wall  Street?  Where  does  your  needy 
woman,  soliciting  aid  for  a  sick  husband  and 
young  children,  go  with  assurance  of  help  so 
soon  as  to  Wall  Street?  Where  is  a  tale  of 
distress  so  rapidly  heard  and  so  speedily  re 
sponded  to  as  in  Wall  Street?  Where  do  people 
seek  for  and  expect  the  most  ample  subscriptions 
to  every  benevolent  scheme  under  the  heavens  ? 
In  Wall  Street. 

JBut,  reader,  if  you  propose  to  enter  the 
"  Street "  as  a  combatant,  and  mix  in  its  great 
hurly-burly  as  an  equal,  all  I  have  to  advise 
you  is,  make  yourself  up  "hard."  Keep  your 
self  constantly  under  martial  law;  and,  to  quote 
a  single  word  from  a  favorite  opera — Tremate  ! 


HENRY  POWERS,  BANKER.      335 


P.  S. — I  had  nearly  forgotten  to  say  that  I 
have  taken  Deams  into  my  employ  as  an  out 
door  man.  He  looks  after  the  course  of  ex 
change,  keeps  the  run  of  the  foreign  markets, 
and  is  very  useful  every  way.  He  has  removed 
his  lodgings  to  Fifty-sixth  Street,  near  Madison 
Avenue,  where  he  indulges  very  innocently  his 
love  for  a  good  dinner,  a  choice  cigar,  and  a 
quiet  evening.  Deams  has  eschewed  all  former 
associates  and  associations.  He  appears  to  feel 
that  it  rests  with  him  to  keep  up  the  dignity  of 

our  "house."      It    is    amusing   to    see   with   what 

*. 

contempt  he  speaks  of  the  "  speculative  class," 
and  how  he  avoids  any  intercourse  with  people 
who  are  not  solid! 


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LIBRARY,  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  DAVIS 

Book  Slip-70m-9,'65(F7151s4)45S 


387985 

Kimball,  R.B. 
Henry  Powers 


PS2169 

K6 

H4 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY   OF   CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


